Uniting Social Media: Australian Bushfire Relief

Hello all,

My name is William Chau and I have decided to start a fundraiser to raise funds for the Australian Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) to support those affected by the 2019-2020 Australian Bushfire Crisis including innocent families who have lost their homes, brave volunteer firefighters who are risking their lives and those who have been actively assisting or heavily impacted by the fires. These fires have been burning for months and are just getting worse by the day. Us Australians are in desperate and urgent support, this is an international cry for help.


Below is a short summary of what has happened so far, how you can help and make a positive impact and finally pictures that are worth a million words.


As a millennial and Australian of the next-generation, my hopes for this fundraiser is to use the power of 21st century Social Media, especially TikTok/Instagram and its growing worldwide platform that will allow me and everyone else to quickly and effectively spread this fundraiser to hopefully every user around the globe, on every social media platform. Currently, there are 500 million active TikTok users, and my goal is reaching $100,000 which is just 0.02% of the TikTok population if they all donate $1 each. I strongly urge Social Media Instagram influencers, promoters, YouTubers, Tiktokkers and others to STOP all self-promotion but instead raise awareness of this crisis and donate. Use #PrayForAustralia


Sometimes the smallest act can make the biggest impact. 
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Although there are many fundraisers occurring already, this one will focus on supporting the Salvation Army Emergency Services to provide Emergency Disaster Relief to communities affected by the fire, evacuees and emergency personnel (CFS, RFS, CFA and many more). They will help by establishing evacuation centres in affected regions of Australia that are able to provide essential supplies such as food and shelter for displaced individuals and families, emotional and financial assistance and most importantly, HOPE for the lost communities.
(Salvation Army Emergency Services crew assist in evacuation centres)


Apart from this, the funds will also support the dispatch of emergency catering trucks to provide meals to those who are sacrificing everything to serve in the front-lines. Finally, the SAES is also committed to a recovery phase to help, support and rebuild communities in the long-run after the fire for as long as it takes to get them back to their feet.

(SAES providing meals to emergency service personnel) 


However, if you would like to contribute more to help our amazing Australian country and give our fire-fighters all the support they can get, I strongly encourage you to donate to the other services assisting in the bushfire crisis including the Australian Red Cross, Emergency Fire Services (CFS, RFS QLD, RFS NSW and CFA) and Wildlife Rescue Services (AussieArk, WWF and WIRE Bushfire Appeal). 

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Here is a summary of what has happened so far since the beginning of the bushfires in 

- At least 21 deaths including the lives of several volunteer firefighters
- Thousands of families displaced as their homes were lost
- Over half a BILLION animals killed with some species near-extinction
- 14.8 million acres of land burnt and destroyed with more still burning
- Temperatures around south-eastern Australia reaching 50C
- Smoke from the fires creating their own weather system as visibility in major cities reach a low
- Health professionals declaring a PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY due to smoke pollution
- Adelaide Hills wineries in South Australia have been destroyed
- Half of Kangaroo Island, a national park is on fire and is currently still burning with the famous resort (Southern Ocean Lodge) burnt down
- 4,000 residents from the Victorian coastal town of Mallacoota were trapped and had to seek refuge on the beach
- More than 150 fires in separate locations are currently burning in NSW with 60 still not yet contained
- Victorian fires have been burning since LATE NOVEMBER
- Australian Navy and Military have been activated to assist with the evacuations
- More than DOUBLE the area burnt in the 2019 Amazon fires
- Only 1.8M hectares burnt in the 2018 Californian Wildfire 

To put some of the numbers into perspective, the Australian fires have burnt approximately HALF of the UK and the ENTIRETY of Belgium (9News).



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The bushfire season is far from over with Australia just going into our 2nd month of Summer and currently, this is the most intense in our country's history. With your help, I have hope that this goal is possible, even if it's just $1. If you are unable to donate, PLEASE share and spread awareness of just how badly this has damaged our amazing country. If you want to help out a good cause, now is the time! We need all the help we can get.

"These communities are going to need unprecedented support and we’ll be there to support them for the long haul. Australians are well known for standing together in times of hardship. Now is such a time.” - SAES

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Pictures:

(Sydney Harbour shrouded by bushfire smoke)


(People of Mallacoota evacuating and seeking refuge on the beach as they can only be reached by air and water)


(Firefighters in the frontline)


(Properties and homes destroyed and lost in the fire)


(Current fires occuring across Australia, Red = Critical)


(Reported flames up to 70m tall, comparing to the Sydney Opera House being 65m tall)


(Kangaroo Island in South Australia, before and after photo of the Southern Ocean Lodge)


(More than 500 million wildlife have been killed so far)


(Australian bushfire creating its own weather system)


(Exhausted firefighters on the frontline)


(3D Visualisation of the total fires affected areas made from NASA satellite data not including areas that are still currently burning)


VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWR-KrCX6RE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYdOz0Je4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvy2siEwOZ0