Drought Relief Appeal 2008

Resources and information for you and your church, plus everything you need to know about our response to the drought situation.

FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO DONATE TO THE DROUGHT RELIEF APPEAL, PLEASE VISIT THE BAPTCARE WEBSITE:   www.baptcare.org.au

Despite heavy rain in Queensland and New South Wales, stream flows and catchments in Victoria’s Murray system are still at record low levels.

The last decade has been the driest on record. The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that it will take several years of above average rainfall to heal this damage. 

The drought affects all of us.  

Drought disrupts cropping programs and reduces breeding stock. It also reduces our water quality. Bushfires often increase during these periods, destroying more of what hasn’t been destroyed already. Declining productivity affects rural Australia and our national economy.

Drought is not simply low rainfall. It is an abnormally dry period when there is not enough water to meet our needs. Climate extremes are most felt on the land. Agriculture suffers first and most severely.

Rural Victorians are suffering the most.

Many Victorian farmers have been defeated by Australia’s climate extremes, and have had to fight droughts and bushfires simultaneously. Imagine them seeing their crops come to waste, their livestock dying in front of their eyes because of lack of water and food.

Many of Victoria’s farmers have not had a proper income for six years leading to:

-         Farmers breaking down in tears when their stock fails to bring in a reasonable price.
-         People avoiding getting medical help because they can’t afford it.
-         Schools forced to provide shoes, clothing, food parcels and uniforms for children whose parents can no longer afford it
-         Farmers being forced to off-load their stock to Abattoirs at half the price, as there are no resources left to feed them and maintain them.  
-         People syphoning petrol out of their lawn mowers to put into their cars so they can drive into town.
-         Farmers being forced to keep their starving herds as the Abattoirs and sale yards are clogged.
-         A nursery owner reporting his sales volume is down by 90% reflecting the major decrease in spending money within the rural community.
-         In extreme cases, suicide, as people feel there is nothing left to live for

You can help ease the suffering of those who have been hit hardest and need our care.

Last year Baptcare and the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV) joined together to run a drought relief appeal to provide financial support to rural Victoria. The appeal was enormously successful with over $200,000 raised. Baptcare matched donations dollar for dollar up to $55,000, and contributed $20,000 in additional funding. The BUV donated another $10,000.

Yet communities in rural Victoria are still in need of our support.

Baptcare and the BUV are again joining together to provide much needed relief to rural Victoria in 2008.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to connect with regional Baptist churches and their communities by offering your prayers and financial assistance if you are able. Your support will help regional Churches to build their capacity to assist their community.

Please help us today by displaying the Drought Relief Appeal flyers and donation slips in your church and letting your congregation know our help is needed. There is also a CD that contains a power point presentation on the appeal which is available for you to show at your Church.

If you have any questions about the appeal, would like to order flyers or a copy of the DVD, or would like to share with us about how your church or bible study group is helping, please contact Kylie Kendall on 03 9880 6100 or by email to kylie.kendall@buv.com.au

1. Drought Relief Appeal Application - Your Questions Answered (pdf)

2. Drought Relief Appeal Application - Personal / Family Funding Application (pdf)

3. Drought Relief Appeal Application - Community Funding Application (pdf)

4. Interchurch Partnership Questionnaire (pdf)

5. Letter from Gordon Wild (pdf)

6. Exceptional Circumstances Application Process (pdf)

7. Lifeline - Tool for Getting Through the Drought (pdf)

8. Centrelink - Coping with Social Impacts - Fact Sheet (pdf)

9. Centrelink - Drought Assistance - Fact Sheet (pdf)

10. Centrelink - Support for Children - Fact Sheet (pdf)

11. Feedback from Funding Recipients in 2007 (pdf)

12. Countering Drought - outlining ways local communities can support each other through shared challenges (pdf)


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