Brooklyn Park mum Karen Flinn and a team of dedicated helpers are ensuring our littlest bushfire survivors can head back to school with confidence.
“Like so many South Australian mums, I’ve been watching these devastating fires take hold of our state and just thinking – how can I help?”
“So one night, while we were watching TV, my husband, kids and I started talking about what we could do,” Karen said.
“These families who are hit so hard by the bushfires are just like ours. If it wasn’t for these awful blazes, they’d be doing the same as us right now – enjoying the last of the holidays and getting ready for the new school year.”
“But while we’re buying rulers and pencils and drink bottles, they’re instead scrambling to put clothes on their backs. It’s so sad and we really feel for them. That’s why I’ve started Backpacks for Bushfires,” Karen said.
Backpacks for Bushfires is asking for public donations of:
backpacks
pencil cases
lunch boxes
drink bottles
pens
pencils
glue sticks
scissors
erasers
highlighters
textas
A4 writing books note pads
rulers
“Backpacks for Bushfires will take care of the kids’ back-to-school supplies so Mum and Dad can focus on all the other important things that need to be done right now.”
Backpacks for Bushfires also has co-ordinators in Melbourne and soon in NSW.
Shadow Minister for Child Protection Jayne Stinson is assisting the grassroots effort and has arranged for state and federal Labor MPs offices to serve as drop-off points.
“It’s inspiring to see so many ordinary people across SA doing such extraordinary things to help in this unprecedented bushfire crisis,” Ms Stinson said.
“My own family has been hit by the national bushfire emergency and it really brings great comfort to know there are so many people willing to lend a hand,” she said.
To ensure there’s no extra pressure on our hardworking emergency agencies, the backpacks will be distributed to needy families directly on the advice of the Australian Red Cross.
Donations can also be made at Indy Rose Flowers at 3/436 Henley Beach Road at Lockleys and at Romeo’s Foodland stores at Stirling and Mitcham.
Backpacks for Bushfires does not accept cash donations and is utilising the resources of registered charities.