EMERGENCY RESPONSE - Lions Clubs Australia

Narooma Lions upgrade BBQ trailer to assist in disaster relief

November 11, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

It was a great day for the Narooma & District Lions Club on the 23rd of October 2022 as they saw the culmination of 2 years’ work by their Club President, Ricci Bishop, in bringing to completion their replacement BBQ Trailer and the erection of a new shed in which to garage it.

This was a doubly auspicious day as it was also the Club’s Charter Anniversary (1976).

Narooma & District Lions Club President with the new BBQ Trailer

Ricci was successful in securing two grants following the Black Summer Bushfires – the first being from St Vincent de Paul Conference and the second a Federal Grant, the Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund (BCRRF).

From the adverse situation of the Black Summer bush fires at Narooma, it was realized that there was a need to have a completely independent food supply BBQ trailer that had the capability to provide it’s own refrigeration, lighting, hot & cold food and water, as well as be a source of power for other needs.

The trailer can now act as an adjunct to the needs of front line emergency respondents as well as being used at evacuation centres.

The shed is also a great asset with enough space to house all the Club’s Lions gear in one place – for many Clubs, it is the stuff dreams are made of!

Celebration ceremony: Smoking the shed and trailer

The Club’s celebrations included a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony by First Nations’ Muladha Gamara, and a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Hon. Dr. Michael Holland MP and St Vincent de Paul Conference representative Mrs. Marea Clark at Easts Caravan Park.

This was followed by a Luncheon at the Narooma Sports & Leisure Centre (Narooma’s designated Evacuation Centre at the time) where a small display of photos were on view.

Image display of the Bush Fire Evacuation Centre from the 1.1.2020

The Club sincerely thanked and acknowledged the contribution from the Australian BCRRF and St Vincent de Paul Conference.

Lions volunteers mobilise to support flood affected communities

November 11, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Australia has experienced major flooding for the fifth time in 19 months due to record-breaking wet weather. The wet conditions are expected to last until 2023.

As the effects of climate change induced disasters continue to devastate communities, we need volunteers now more than ever.

When disaster strikes, Lions volunteers are the first to offer support and that’s exactly what is happening as communities across Australia face flooding yet again.

Members of the Lions Club of Seymour Goulburn have been cooking meals for those who have been displaced due to the emergency while other Lions have been assisting with the flood clean up or raising money for the Australian Lions Foundation National Flood Appeal.

“October has been another month of heavy rainfall with flood warnings for communities across QLD, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. The Australian Lions Foundation has launched a national appeal to help support those affected communities,” says Australian Lions Foundation Chairperson Tony Benbow OAM.

“Every dollar raised will be sent directly to Lions Clubs on the ground in affected communities to provide emergency support to those impacted.”

“This is why Lions is so effective in times of need. Every dollar donated goes directly to the cause and through Lions’ large network of clubs we are able to quickly identify those who require assistance and find the best and most efficient ways of supporting those people and communities.”

Lions based in Seymour, Shepparton, and Mooroopna loan high-pressure water blasters, hoses, power leads, brooms, and squeegees to the community to assist in the flood clean-up.

“A key focus for our clubs in recent months has been supporting flood affected communities particularly in Northern NSW. Lismore was actually the birthplace of Lions in Australia with Lismore Lions Club founded in September 1947,” adds Tony.

“We know the road to recovery is a long one after a disaster. Our volunteers are still going above and beyond to help communities rebuild after the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020 and we will see the same with flood affected communities.”

Lions have been providing emergency support to Australian communities for decades. Over $4.6 million was raised and distributed in the recent Australian Lions Foundation National Bushfire Appeal and $1.9 million was raised and distributed to Flood Support last year.

Anyone looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to Australian Lions Foundation.

To make a donation visit https://www.givenow.com.au/australianlionsfoundation

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

About Australian Lions Foundation

The Australian Lions Foundation has been providing grants for disaster relief, compassionate support and community initiatives since the 1980’s. Every year the Foundation distributes more than $1 million for projects through local Lions Clubs.

The Foundation Directors are all Lion volunteers who do not receive any income for their efforts.

Lions are there every step of the way in Flood Recovery

July 8, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Lions Australia is celebrating our 75th Anniversary in September this year and the theme of “always” being there for the community could not be more relevant.

A key focus for Lions’ 1200 plus clubs in recent months has been supporting flood-affected communities in NSW and QLD.

With flood waters still rising in parts of NSW this week, Lions volunteers are assuring communities they will be there every step of the way in coming months and years as they recover and rebuild.

“At Lions we know the road to recovery is a long one after a disaster. Our volunteers are still going above and beyond to help communities rebuild after the devastating bushfires of 2019/2020 and we will see the same with flood affected communities in NSW and QLD,” says Lions Australia CEO Rob Oerlemans.

“Over the past three months, the focus has been on providing emergency support to those who lost everything. During the floods, our volunteers on the ground were doing whatever they could to support their communities whether it was cooking for ADF personnel and volunteers, setting up free laundry and shower vans or simply lending a helping hand to someone in need,” adds Rob.

“The focus now is on helping people get back on their feet and helping the community rebuild. This will take years.”

Members of the Lions Club of Lennox Head providing food and drinks to flood-affected communities earlier this year

Local Lions Clubs on the ground are being supported by many Lions Clubs and Australians who have been fundraising for and supporting the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal.

Over $1.3m has now been raised and is being quickly distributed to clubs on the ground in affected areas. Lions have been assisting with clean ups and purchasing and delivering items such as storage containers and gas cookers for people who have lost everything. Many local clubs are using the grant funds to purchase vouchers at local businesses for people in need to purchase fuel, food, water, cleaning products, bedding and other essential items.

Quotes from Lions Clubs on the ground:

“We will keep going until we’re not needed anymore,” says Lismore Lions Club President Theo Beemster.

“We have been reacting to immediate needs and will continue to do so, but our challenge will be to support our community in the months and years ahead. To do that we have to keep up our normal fundraising efforts, apply for grants and donations and on top of that take on flood recovery effort,” says Chris Stores, Lennox Heads Lions Club.

Every dollar raised in the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal is being sent directly to local Lions Clubs to provide emergency support to those in need and help the community rebuild.

Lions have been providing emergency support to Australian communities for decades. Over $4.6 million was raised and distributed in the recent Australian Lions Foundation National Bushfire Appeal and $1.9 million was raised and distributed to Flood Support last year.

Anyone looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to Australian Lions Foundation.

To make a donation click here.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Gympie South Lions to the rescue for flood victim facing $7k fine

June 17, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, HUMANITARIAN, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

The Gympie South Lions Club have come to the rescue of a local flood victim after he was threatened with a $7,000 fine for having flood debris on his footpath.

Tom Atkinson and his partner were overlooked when council were doing their curbside debris pick up following major flooding in Gympie earlier this year, and with only two small cars (without towbars), they were unable to transport the flood debris to the tip themselves.

Gympie South Lions - Flood victim Tom Atkinson

Flood victim Tom Atkinson was threatened with a $7k fine

After seeing the story in the local paper, members of the Lions Club of Gympie South offered to help remove the debris for them. A couple of days later, the band of heroes without capes arrived at Tom’s place, loaded the debris into a large trailer and took it to the tip.

The Gympie Council had agreed to waive the dump fees if the rubbish was dumped within the timeframe and they were true to their word.

Tom and his partner were very relieved and appreciative of the assistance from the Gympie South Lions, Senior Constable Andrew White for the loan of the trailer and some helpful friends (Tom also helped).

Many hands make light work and the job was done it no time – well done to all involved.

Local Lions Clubs continue to be on the ground in flood-affected areas and fundraising for the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal.

Every dollar raised in the Appeal is being sent directly to local Lions Clubs to provide emergency support to those in need and help the community rebuild.

Anyone looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to Australian Lions Foundation.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Lions and Disaster Relief Australia Unite for Flood Recovery Effort

May 11, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

The devastating floods that hit Queensland and NSW in March this year had far-reaching consequences for both communities and individuals. The path back to recovery appeared endless, with only shells of damaged homes and shattered lives remaining.

Along with our own volunteers, partner organisations such as Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) were thankfully ready to respond. The first phase of flood recovery efforts began in the Moreton Bay region of Queensland and then Coraki, NSW, just a short drive from hard-hit Lismore.

Over 650 volunteers deployed in response to 500 requests for help over the course of eight weeks. Over a million dollars in community value has been generated by 25K volunteer hours.

Wherever DRA deploys volunteers on the ground to aid communities in need of recovery after disasters, Lions is there to help. Lions’ volunteers pay membership fees to cover admin costs which means 100% of funds donated to Lions clubs go directly towards the cause, such as DRA’s disaster recovery operations.

The people of Coraki, NSW, welcomed DRA volunteers with open arms as they began the community recovery process. Aside from assisting flood victims, the disaster relief teams worked on community projects such as cleaning up the bowling club to bring people together and placing fresh wood chips in playgrounds to provide children a safe area to play once again.

Thousands of safety masks, hundreds of pairs of gumboots, pressure washers, heavy equipment rental, and hundreds of litres of cleaning chemicals were used.

Lions’ contribution to DRA has resulted in tangible and long-term benefits.

Breakdown of funding:

Lions Club of Tathra Operation Kelliher – Flood Recovery $2,500

Lions Club of Batemans Bay Operation Kelliher – Flood Recovery $1,149

Oak Flats Lions Club Operation Kelliher – Flood Recovery $1,000

Lions Clubs of Goulburn City Operation Kelliher – Flood Recovery $10,00

You can still donate to the Australian Lions Foundation’s National Flood Appeal here.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Preschool donates $10,000 to ALF National Flood Appeal

April 6, 2022/in DONATIONS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

The community is rallying behind the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal providing emergency relief to those communities devastated by floods in QLD and NSW.

Local Randwick business Platinum Preschool has donated $10,000 to the appeal.

A special event held at Platinum Preschool last month saw the kids dressing up as Lions Cubs to present the $10,000 cheque to Sari-Elle Kraemer, President of Coogee Lions Club.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker and Member for Coogee Marjorie O’Neil were also in attendance.

Every dollar donated to the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal is being sent directly to Lions Clubs on the ground in flood affected communities.

Platinum Preschool Owner Jo O’Brien says the donation is not only about supporting the flood affected communities but also about setting a good example.

“Platinum Preschool is very proud to be donating a full day of fees to the Australian Lions Foundation Disaster Appeal,” says Jo.

“In addition to helping those impacted by the floods, this donation is also about setting a good example to the kids at Platinum through showing them the importance of helping others in times of need. When devastation occurs, we teach the children to look out for those who are helping and being kind. This reinforces our ethos of BE KIND and the values program we teach daily here in our centre” adds Jo.

Platinum Preschool kids present Lions with a donation to the ALF National Flood Appeal

Coogee Lions President Sari-Elle Kraemer has thanked the community for its support and is encouraging anyone else looking to help support those impacted by the floods to consider making a donation to the Australian Lions Foundation.

“At Coogee Lions, we know many people in our community are looking to help those affected by the catastrophic floods in QLD and NSW. Our volunteers have been out in the community shaking donation buckets and we are seeing such strong support and generosity from the local community. Thank you to all of the local businesses who have offered to have a donation box and to those like Platinum Preschool who are supporting the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal,” says Sari-Elle.

“Every dollar raised is being sent directly to local Lions Clubs on the ground who are providing emergency relief in their community. That’s the benefit of an organisation like Lions – we have over 1200 clubs across Australia so when disaster strikes we can get funds sent quickly to those who need it most.”

Anyone looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to Australian Lions Foundation.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

A message of hope for Northern NSW as it sees more rain

April 5, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

As Northern NSW braced for even more rain this week, the resilience and determination of volunteers is shining through.

Lions Australia is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary this year and the theme of “always” being there for the community could not be more relevant.

Lismore was the birthplace of Lions in Australia with Lismore Lions Club founded in 1947.

75 years on, there are several Lions clubs in the area and over 1300 across Australia who have been able to mobilise quickly to provide support to those in need.

Lismore Lions Club President Theo Beemster says it is going to take years for the community to recover and local Lions volunteers will be there every step of the way.

“We will keep going until we’re not needed anymore,” says Theo.

Lismore Lions Club members have their barbecue trailer set up outside Lincraft in Keen Street each day. They have been supporting the clean-up providing food, water and a listening ear to the community and visiting ADF personnel, Fire Brigade, SES crews and volunteers.

Lismore Lions with members of the Australian Defence Force

“We are managing quite well, just a little exhausted. Even though many of our members are in their 80s, they are so sufficient at what they do. We have many business donating sausages and bacon to our cook up which is a huge help. We also have the Goonellabah-Wollongbar & Districts Lions Club helping out and providing food nearby as well and Lismore City Lions Club providing food in South Lismore,” adds Theo.

The Lismore City Lions have also set up a free laundry and shower van at 25 Casino St, South Lismore outside Sheaffe Motors that is operating between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. The van was kindly supplied by the Lions Club of Belmont and District from the Newcastle region.

Local Lions Clubs on the ground are being supported by many volunteers and their communities with hundreds of Lions volunteers across the country shaking donation buckets and hosting fundraisers for the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal.

Every dollar raised in the Appeal is being sent directly to local Lions Clubs to provide emergency support to those in need and help the community rebuild.

Anyone looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to Australian Lions Foundation.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Local Lions volunteers supporting Diabetic Ukrainian refugees

April 5, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, HUMANITARIAN, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

Diabetes is a key global focus for Lions Clubs and volunteers in Australia are coming together to support people all over the world including Ukrainian refugees with Diabetes.

An initiative led by the Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation and Type 1 Diabetes Foundation is packaging up medical supplies to send to Ukrainian refugees with Diabetes.

Diabetes Care Packs Sent to Poland for Ukrainian Refugees

Backpacks containing self-care supplies ready to send to Ukrainian refugees with Diabetes

Lions Australia’s National Diabetes Coordinator Pat Mills says the packs with vital supplies are being sent to refugees in Poland.

“At Lions, we are dedicated to doing what we can to help those in need both in our local communities and globally. Medical supplies are vital for Diabetics and we know there are many displaced Ukrainians that are in desperate need of supplies so our volunteers here in Australia are packaging up little medical kits to send to refugees. To date, we have sent over 200 packs to Poland.”

“Many of us have been watching the devastation in the Ukraine and want to do something to help. It’s a simple project for us but we are providing vital medical support,” says Pat.

67 care-packs ready to send to Poland for Ukrainian refugees

Members of the Lions Club of Shepparton have been assisting on the project, collecting supplies and packing bags to ship to Poland.

In a symbolic gesture, Club President Patsy Lansdown has organised for 2000 paper cranes to be made; inspired by the story of Japanese girl Sadako Sasaki, who developed leukemia after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.

Along with the care packs, the folded creations will be taken to Poland as a symbol of peace, hope and courage.

Anyone wishing to help support the project can contact and donate to the Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation.

Lions International President Douglas X Alexander – The Australian Floods

March 19, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, NEWS /by Rob Oerlermans

A message from Lions International President Douglas X Alexander regarding the floods in Australia

Lions volunteers across Australia are mobilising for flood relief

March 10, 2022/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, OUR STORIES /by Jemma

When disaster strikes Lions roll up their sleeves and take action and that’s exactly what is happening right now.

From Lions Clubs on the ground who are helping with clean-ups, providing essential items to local residents and cooking at evacuation centres to the many volunteers across the country shaking donation buckets and hosting sausage sizzles and fundraisers for the National Appeal, Lions are making a big difference.

CEO of Lions Australia Rob Oerlemans says many Lions Clubs across the country are out in the community doing what they can to help those impacted by the devastating floods.

“In times of disaster Lions take action. Many of our Clubs in QLD and NSW are doing whatever they can right now to help their communities whether it’s assisting residents with clean-ups, providing food and essential items to those who have lost everything or cooking for evacuation centres and volunteers. We expect many of our clubs right across Australia to be out in their communities shaking donation buckets and hosting fundraisers for the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal,” says Rob Oerlemans.

Every dollar raised in the Australian Lions Foundation National Disaster Appeal will be sent directly to local Lions Clubs to provide emergency support to those in need.

“In times of disaster, Australian Lions Foundation is focused on getting emergency support to communities in need as quickly as possible. Right now, Queensland and Northern NSW needs Australia’s help and we are working closely with Lions Clubs on the ground and providing them with emergency funds so they can help those in need in their community,” says Australian Lions Foundation Chairperson Tony Benbow OAM.

“Through Lions’ incredible network of over 1200 clubs we are able to deliver goods and support quickly and can be sure it will go to where it is needed most,” adds Tony.

Lismore Lions Club, the first Australian Lions club formed back in 1947, has been providing food and water to their hard-hit community and emergency crews every day for the past 5 days.

Lismore Lions President Theo Beemster says they are feeding hundreds of people each day.

“The town has been completely destroyed with most buildings completely guttered inside – it’s going to take years to rebuild. But our club will keep going until we’re not needed anymore”.

Lions have been providing emergency support to Australian communities for decades. Over $4.6 million was raised and distributed in the recent Australian Lions Foundation National Bushfire Appeal and $1.9 million was raised and distributed to Flood Support last year.

Australians looking to make a donation and support those affected by the floods can do so through their local Lions Club or through donating directly to the Australian Lions Foundation.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.