Marking four months after the first catastrophic flood, grassroots disaster recovery organisation Resilient Lismore has taken stock of its immense volunteer-powered impact and is appealing for end-of-financial year donations to continue its crucial job.

Data taken from Resilient Lismore’s volunteer management systems reveal since February 2022 it has delivered more than:

• 8400 volunteer deployments
• 2100 completed jobs

Since the first catastrophic flood of February 28, Resilient Lismore has also managed the Resilient Lismore - Community Resilience and Recovery Facebook group facilitating unquantifiable peer-to-peer support from its 31,400+ members. The group’s volunteers have moderated more than 21,000 posts from community members seeking or offering support and information regarding flood preparation and recovery.

Currently, Resilient Lismore has 300 open jobs in its system, many of which require skilled labour and additional materials to complete.

Resilient Lismore Director Elly Bird said, ”These figures are a testament to the strength, compassion, and self-determination of our community. I thank every single one of our volunteers from the bottom of my heart. You should be incredibly proud to be part of this historical community effort”.

“These numbers also offer a reminder of the ‘bang-for-buck’ impact grassroots recovery organisation can make with limited money.”

“In the coming weeks, we will see hubs and donations centres wind up operations, putting extra pressure on Resilient Lismore to keep up with desperate community need. We are here for the long haul, but we need help to continue,” Ms Bird said.

As the community moves into its rebuild phase, Resilient Lismore urgently need funds and volunteer-power to assist the city’s most vulnerable to be safe, secure and warm for winter.

Support the ‘Two Rooms Project’

“Every day we get more and more requests from elderly and vulnerable people living without walls. In the coming weeks and months your donations will pay for bulk gyprock for our ‘Two Rooms Project’.

Equipped with gyprock, Resilient Lismore will coordinate volunteer teams to build walls so that some of Lismore’s most vulnerable community members have a warm, secure space that they can safely live in.

So far, donations have helped kit out the Resilient Lismore Hub’s tool library; provided the community with free cleaning products and PPE; covered volunteer fuel costs; helped to distribute hundreds of blankets, boots and hot water bottles; and covered bulk quantities of Natroshield anti-mould cleaning solution.

“In the days before the end of financial year, we are appealing to anyone who wants to help Lismore recover from these catastrophic floods to give a tax-free donation to Resilient Lismore.

“Evidently, Resilient Lismore are delivering a lot of bang for your tax-deductible buck,” said Ms Bird.

You can donate money, time, goods or building materials to Resilient Lismore at www.floodhelpnr.com.au or drop in to the hub at 117 Magellan Street, opposite the Lismore Library.