Our Sisters and Brothers in the Bush Do Not Need Rescuing
This Christmas, what our friends in rural and remote Australia truly need are people like you who care.
Please donate by 22 December to help Aussies in the bush recover and be better prepared for future challenges.
We are all preparing for the festive season, but where Mick lives in the Gippsland region of Victoria, people know more bushfires are coming. And probably drought, too. Most of them haven’t had time to recover from the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20, when they lost everything – their homes, their livelihoods, their worlds.
But they’re not panicking or giving up in despair. They’re getting on with it. Like they always have.
They don’t want us – or the media – sensationalising how hard it’s been or how hard it’s going to be. They are not a news story. They are people, working hard to rebuild their lives. What they really need is a physical presence from people who genuinely care. They need people who can roll up their sleeves and help them get the job done.
That’s why your kindness is so essential this Christmas. As much as you might want to, you can’t be there physically for every family and community who needs help. But you can be there for them through your generous gifts.
Your gift today will help fund Outback Links volunteers and Bush Chaplains who bring emotional and practical support. Please, will you consider donating today?
When Frontier Services National Director RobFloyd was in Buchan a few months ago, we met Mick. He’s had a really tough trot. He moved to Buchan after some pretty serious health issues to help his ageing parents on their family farm.
Then the fires came. They destroyed everything. Their home, their tractors, even their fencing. Mick said all that was left was smouldering, twisted metal. Then as they began the gruelling task of rebuilding, Mick landed in hospital for open-heart surgery. Then COVID-19 came. He couldn’t catch a break. In fact, until a couple of weeks ago, Mick still didn’t have a secure home to stay in.
Still, he didn’t feel right asking for help. He felt there were others in town worse off than him.
If Disaster Recovery Bush Chaplain Peter Harvey, hadn’t been in town, I reckon there’s a chance Mick would still be trying to persevere on his own even now.
But because of your support and the support of people like you, Bush Chaplains like Peter are able to look out for folk like Mick. They are there as a caring physical presence, ready to support all who need it no matter what.
Peter organised a crew of Outback Links volunteers to come to Buchan to help Mick and his neighbours.
“It felt like hope.”
When asked how it felt to be helped, Mick said,
“It felt like hope.
“You’re struggling along by yourself a lot of the time and you’re worn out. And volunteers come along like that and you get support and it feels heaven-sent, literally.”
It requires time, organisation, and supplies.
We are extremely grateful to all Frontier Services supporters. We couldn’t fund this hands-on support without their generosity. Although the Outback Links volunteers are unpaid, this kind of support requires time, organisation, and supplies. And that’s why I need to ask you now if you will please give today to help more people like Mick.
Communities across Australia are still reeling from natural disasters like bushfires and floods, and now, with an El Niño summer ahead, they’re preparing for more. They need your help.
Mick describes the support of Outback Links volunteers as “heaven-sent”.
Please, consider donating today.
Our friends in the bush are dealing with a lot right now. There’s the cost-of-living crisis, which is hitting them extra hard. Basics such as groceries and petrol were already expensive in rural areas. Now it’s becoming even harder to balance the family budget.
There’s the mental health crisis. People are facing pressures that feel impossible, but often there’s no support available. People who finally reach out are told they have to wait months to see someone.
Others are reluctant to seek help because they believe they “should” be able to cope on their own, or their situation isn’t as bad as others. But it is bad, and it’s no wonder they’re struggling.
And then to make things so very much worse, we have the impacts of extreme weather events, which means people can never catch a break. There’s often no time to recover or rebuild before the next challenge hits.
All these issues on top of each other can make “getting on with things” incredibly difficult for people in the bush.
They don’t need our pity.
But they don’t need our pity. They need our practical help. They need a physical presence. They need people who turn up, roll up their sleeves, and help to get jobs done.
And that’s what we do together… you and our Frontier Services team. Through your kind gifts, you are continuing John Flynn’s vision by being there for people in the bush.
You are there through the pastoral support of our Bush Chaplains, and you are there through the practical support of our Outback Links volunteers. Your gift today means you can be there for even more Aussies in the bush doing it tough this summer.
Mick said,
“You’ve got all this stuff going on in your life and you’re worn out. You’re struggling along by yourself a lot of the time.
“And then volunteers come along like that and put their all into it.
“All this help is just heaven-sent.
“And I know other people around Buchan are very, very grateful for the work that you have done.”
Frontier Services supporters embody the spirit of Australian mateship.
We are extremely grateful to all Frontier Services supporters. They embody the spirit of Australian mateship, of being there for others, and it is an absolute privilege to have them as part of the team.
Whatever you can give today will be gratefully put straight to work to help those most in need.
This is what your kindness looks like!
Your kindness looks like untangling lines of old fencing.
…building strong fences to protect precious cattle
…helping to rebuild after the fires
…a smile and a shoulder to lean on
…some laughs over a cuppa
...a physical presence that shows people they are not alone.
Service. Support. Strength. And a surplus of smiles!
People all over Australia need the practical support of our Outback Links volunteers and the pastoral support of our Bush Chaplains.
Please give generously today to send more support to those who need it.