In the face of the January fires that ravaged various communities across Victoria’s Northeast and North Central regions, locals have become reliant on donations, community efforts, and relief funds to stay afloat.
While our fast-paced news cycle may make January seem long gone, residents are still wrestling every day with the effects of the fires that have stripped them of their homes, belongings, and very often their ways of life.
The Greater Shepparton and Strathbogie regions came out in amazing shows of community support, coordinating impressive amounts of donations, but immediate relief efforts are only one part of the recovery process, which often continues for years.
The Strathbogie Disaster Relief Fund, established during January as a subsection of the Australian Communities Foundation, has brought over $220,000 directly to fire-affected households through Rapid Response Grants. An overall $420,000, with the Strathbogie Disaster Relief Fund indicating their plans for more substantial initiatives and funding rounds.
The SDRF has now released a seven-part video series highlighting the work of some of heroes in the Ruffy community during this dark chapter, and emphasising the everyday affects this tragedy has on their life.
“It is so important to show not just the immediate impact of the fires but the longtail of destruction that individuals and communities are left to deal with,” said SDRF Community Advisory Committee member Alister Purbrick.
