PRESS RELEASE: Real Stories From Flood-Affected Single Parents Who Have Lost Everything
An urgent fundraiser was created for single-parent families whose homes were lost from the devastating Northern Rivers floods.
Many community members chose to live in the flood disaster zone as it offered affordable housing,however, home flood insurance was upwards of $30,000 a year1.
Now many families are homeless and are struggling to juggle caring for their already traumatised children.
The team at Fertile Ground Health Group are raising funds to support vulnerable single-parent families who are trying to stay strong for their children, despite being homeless and losing everything.
In a matter of days, the fundraiser has raised over $20,000 and continues to climb with the community’s support – https://mycau.se/soloparentfamiliesfloodappeal
“All funds will go to as many single parents in need as possible. No money will be withheld for administration, nor by this fundraising platform. All proceeds go to those in need,” says the FGHG team.
Real Stories from Flood-Affected Single Parents
Lauren from Lismore NSW:
“For six hours my three-year-old was forced to sit in our kayak tied to the clotheslines while the rain lashed around her face and soaked her until her little lips were blue. As flood waters continued to rise around us and I sobbed goodbyes to loved ones down the phone and imagined watching my toddler drown in my arms. It hurts to be in this position AGAIN. I have worked so hard over the last year to recoup most of what we lost in our 2021 house fire and now it’s vanished right from under my nose all over again.”
Sarah from Lismore NSW:
“My youngest son is 11 and is autistic and home schooled. We swam out at neck height. It was so scary. The screams of people on their roofs everywhere. We could not help them. My older son saved our neighbour who was floating on a log gasping for air. He said he would have died if my son was not there.”
Nina from Bexhill NSW:
“I’d set my alarm to wake hours before the ‘peak’ of the flood so I could assess where we were at. It still wasn’t enough. I don’t think anyone could have prepared enough for this. My 6-year-old son and I ‘miraculously’ awoke at 3.30am, just as the first trickle of water snaked in under the door. A man arrived at our door yelling for us to get out now. Our ceiling collapsed, our home is unliveable, but what’s most heartbreaking is hearing my little boy try to problem solve where we will now live.
Kate from Richmond Valley NSW:
“I was a volunteer firefighter with the RFS for over 4 years, and also a trained Case Manager/Support Facilitator. After preparing the property and pets for a possible flood, I left our house with my 8-year-old daughter. At 4am I thought I heard 3 voices and screaming. I felt beyond desperate, worried the neighbours were drowning. As the sun rose, I was worried the other lady with me had gone into sepsis, and I felt I had started to go into shock, the water was still rising, and I was exhausted. We spent many hours outside trying to wave at Choppers. The cloud cover was so thick that they missed us altogether. We were finally rescued by Rob from ADF, but I had to leave our dog behind. It was heartbreaking. I took her back to the house where I had laid all the dog food we had and a large bowl of fresh water and told her to ‘stay home’. She got out and tried to follow us. My heart broke as I had to tell her to “go home”. I will never forget her face.”
To support the fundraiser for flood-affected solo parents head to: https://mycau.se/soloparentfamiliesfloodappeal
To start a fundraising page or donate to a local Queensland or New South Wales SES head to: www.mycause.com.au/events/australianfloodappeal
For media enquiries please contact Adam Taia on 0414 919 829 or [email protected]
1 “Crowdfunding Campaigns Rival Traditional Charities Millions Raised in Flood Relief”, Sydney Morning Herald, Caitlin Fitzsimmons, March 2022.
