One hugely positive outcome from the floods was the way so many people scrambled to lend a helping hand to those affected.   The QLD Premier’s appeal helped raise funds by accepting financial donations for distribution to the needy, and of course thousands chipped in with the massive cleanup effort, but there were  plenty of other, lower profile, but just as important ways that people could help. One quiet achiever during the QLD Flood crises, was  HelpOut – an online service designed specifically to put in touch those offering assistance with those who needed help.

How could SpaceOut Help ??

‘Following the Victorian Fires we wanted to use the technology of our space sharing site www.spaceout.com.au to design a way that average Aussies could assist flood, cyclone or fire victims in a non-financial way’ says Nathon Irvin, cofounder of HelpOut.   Through this online service, people are able to list the different ways they can offer help. Not everyone have money that they can donate, and many victims need kinds of help other than financial assistance.

HelpOut – Providing a Helping Hand

The HelpOut service works particularly well at a community level.  People within affected communities wanting to help, can offer donations, support or any other type of assistance, with the assurance that it will go directly to members of their own community

During the 2011 QLF Floods, people were using HelpOut to offer all kinds of practical help  - including offers as diverse as pet minding, the loan of a trailer, driving the kids to school, a hot meal for a family in need, manual labour to help shift or fix something, and even a place to stay during the cleanup. ‘We’ve been really touched by the response to the service, watching Australians opening up their hearts and their homes to people in need.’

On the other side of the equation, people needing help to rebuild after the disaster come to the HelpOut site and search on a map for offers of assistance in their own local area or community that most suit their specific needs. ‘At the end of the day, HelpOut brings our community closer together, and if we can make that happen, we reckon we’ve done a good job’ says Irvin. ‘

HelpOut sits idle (Yippee)

Fortunately, the HelpOut service currently sits idle, with no listings at all. There are no major disasters in Australia at the moment so the site sits waiting for the next time it is needed. The HelpOut Service is however set up,  ready to help, whenever a disaster strikes, and people are again in need of assistance.

The experience that we gained from the QLD floods ensures that we are ready to help many desperate people in the future.

HelpOut is a completely free service that anyone can use, particularly people in and around disaster areas who aren’t affected, and who have the capacity, however small, to offer assistance. HelpOut can be found via the SpaceOut website at: http://helpout.spaceout.com.au

Traditionally January is the busiest time of the year for Self Storage.  Many people tend to spend time over Christmas tidying, sorting and preparing for the year ahead – so if YOU have a spare room, garage, shed, parking spot, office, hall, backyard, or even a paddock or barn that you are not using – it may be of use to someone else – and NOW is a perfect opportunity to turn it into some extra ongoing income.

As a special Christmas/New Year offer to SpaceOut members and visitors, we are giving you the chance to try out SpaceOut for free.  So if you’ve wondered whether renting out some of your unused space might be a good way to earn some extra cash, but didn’t want to commit to an upfront listing fee, now is your opportunity to try it out for absolutely nothing.

Limited Time Only

For a limited time (until the end of January 2012) you can create your Space for Rent Listing and get the first two months for FREE.

You will need to sign up for future payments, but can cancel any time you wish, so you could advertise and rent out your space within the first two months and pay nothing at all to get an ongoing residual income.

Paid parking was introduced this week at Chermside Shopping Center – with plans to implement it at Westfield Carindale in March next year.

The new parking charges at Westfield Chermside have had an immediate impact – leaving empty car parks and resulting in clogged local streets, increased traffic congestion, and the need for a local services club to employ security guards to monitor their own car park.

Parking Fees $20 per day

The new charges, which apply to vehicles parked for 3 hours or more, are designed to encourage commuters and long term parkers to look at alternatives.  Parking fees can be as much as $20 for the day.

Shopping Center staff have been allocated special parking areas, but have complained of half hour waits to get in, and are concerned that they will be forced to pay up to $20 a day if they miss out on one of the staff parking spaces.

Local Residents Cash In

Aside from the extra disruption and congestion being faced by local residents, some may actually be presented with an opportunity to earn some extra income.  Some residents with a spare parking spot have already been approached by car owners offering to pay to park there.  Home or business owners with an extra parking space in the driveway, garage, or yard may find that they are in demand, and can rent out their unused parking space on a casual, weekly or even monthly basis – with the potential to earn as much as $15 a day or $300 a month.

Over the last year or so we have also seen an increasing trend with Commercial Operators (e.g. Storage facilities, Parking stations and Serviced Offices) creating listings on SpaceOut. We have encouraged these types of listings because we feel that it provides a greater range of options for our users, after all both private and commercial spaces each have pros and cons and are each suitable for different circumstances.

Because they have fairly different listing needs, we wanted to provide commercial operators with some extra features, so we have extended the SpaceOut listing types to provide some additional functionality for commercial operators..

As a part of the listing process, Commercial Operators can now choose a Commercial Operator Listing type.  These listings cost a bit more  but are for longer periods (currently $55 for three months).   Operators can also include a logo and up to 10 photos, and once the listing is activated, we will manually update the description and add a link back to their website.

As a part of the new Commercial Operator Listings, we encourage operators to include their contact information and details of the spaces and  services that they provide, as a part of the description and owner details for their listing.

If you’ve any queries about the new Commercial Operator Listing, or any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact SpaceOut.

Photos

Over the last few months, one of the most common requests we have received from our members, is to provide a photo feature – to allow them to include photos of the spaces they are offering for rent.

From today, new (and existing) subscription based Space for Rent listings will have the capability to include up to three photos.  When you create a New Listing, you will will be prompted to add photos as a part of the setup process.   Members with existing subscription listings can add or edit photos via the (Edit Photos) icon on the members home page.

Members with expired Space for rent listings, can either renew them, or create a new one, and will be given an opportunity to subscribe and add photos to these listings as well

A Picture tells a thousand words

Photos offer a great way to promote your listing and highlight its features and benefits.  You could also (if you wish) personalise your listing by including a photo of yourself, for many potential renters, this provides credibility an adds another level of trust.  Commercial operators can also include theor logo or a photo of theor premises (although we do have some extra features planned for commercial operators).

Currently you can include up to three photos for each Space for rent Listing, but we will be keeping an eye on how photos are being used, and may provide other options in the future.  So if you’ve got an opinion on the use of photos on SpaceOut, or any suggestions on how it could be improved, please let us know, we would love to hear it.

Report This Listing

We have also provided another feature which allows anyone to Report inapropriate Ads.  This could be a listing that is a blatant advertisement for a third party product or service, some content that is misleading or irrelevant, or an image which is not apropriate.  To Report a Listing, simply click on the  button which can be found on the bottom right of all listing details.  You can provide a brief description of the problem and (if you like) include your contact details.  we will investigate, and take apropriat action, and if you’ve left your details we will let you know the outcome.

We have a heap of other features and functionality planned over the coming months, so keep am eye on SpaceOut, and please let us know of any other features you would like us to offer, or any problems that you may experience woith the new photo or Reporting functionality.

Launched in April, the website invites homeowners to list their gardens as potential campsites for travelers passing through the local vicinity. Gardens are listed with a short description and details of facilities available such as showers, power points, wifi connectivity, barbecues and parking.

Garden owners are also able to :

• list what shops and public transport links there are nearby
• list the dates their gardens are available to camp in
• specify how much it will cost one person to stay on site per night.

Visitors searching for a campsite are able to browse for gardens by location, or select a specific event they are planning to attend and browse for gardens nearby.

If you are in Australia and have a garden that you think would be suitable for renting out for camping then you can create a space for rent listing right now.  Currently the “Other” Space type category is probably the most suitable one to choose for this type of a listing.

There seems to be no end in sight for the trend of sharing and renting out unused space, and we regularly get new (and sometimes unusual) listings added to SpaceOut.  As we get more of certain types of listings, we will consider adding new categories (as we have already done for Parking, Office and Rural Space).

‘We wanted to find a way that average Aussies could assist flood, cyclone or fire victims in a non-financial but practical way’ says Nathon Irvin, cofounder of HelpOut.

HelpOut offers a unique online service aimed at making it easier for disaster affected communities to help themselves – in many simple but practical ways.

Through HelpOut, people wanting to help, have been making all sorts of practical offers of assistance during recent disasters.  Offers such as : pet minding, loan of a trailer, driving the kids to school, a home cooked meal for a family in need,  and even offers of temporary accommodation during the cleanup have been listed  recently. ‘We’ve been really touched by the response to the service, watching Australians opening up their hearts and their homes to people in need.’ Says Irvin.  Here are a few real life offers of assistance taken off  HelpOut:

I am 70 years of age so not able to do too much heavy physical work but happy to help in any other capacity needed – Vehicle for transportation, Washing, Making sandwiches, Buying groceries, Any computer work that needs doing, Take people out for morning tea/cuppa chat etc, Food hampers, weekend holiday service…

A place for small animals to stay while their owners get back on their feet but owners too. There is one spare room available right now for any flood business. (From a mother and daughter in Ipswich not affected by the floods.)

We are offering families who have been directly affected by the floods free child care for children aged two weeks to twelve years. We have a bus pick up service if you do not have your own transport. (from a registered Day Care Service)

On the other side of the equation, people needing help to rebuild after disaster damage can use HelpOut  to search on a map of their own local area for offers of assistance that most suit their needs. Here  are a couple of real life pleas for help :

I would like help to strip the inside plasterboard from my house. The house was inundated up to the ceiling, during the recent floods. The plasterboard needs to be taken off for the house to dry out before any work to fix can proceed

Land behind house has debris from flood inundation, too much for my father in law [nearly 80]to handle, and I am widowed and live in NSW. Council is providing a skip. Any help would be very much appreciated. Needs to be attended to asap as the grass is growing rapidly. Thankyou

‘At the end of the day, HelpOut brings disaster affected communities closer together by helping them to help themselves, and if we can assist in that process, I reckon we’ve done a good job’ says Irvin. ‘

In recognition of the value it provides, The Ipswich City Council recently linked to HelpOut through the flood assistance section of  their website. This raised the awareness of local residents and business owners about the HelpOut service, and as a result, many members of the Ipswich community have received the extra help that they needed

The HelpOut service is currently available Australia wide, but is of particular benefit to those living or working in or near disaster areas. Locals who aren’t directly affected, but who have the capacity, however small, to offer assistance are in the best position to help. HelpOut is completely free to use.

If you live near any areas that have been devastated by natural disasters, help is still needed and we invite people who can, to check the site for more ideas on how to HelpOut members of their local community who are still in need. HelpOut can be found via the SpaceOut website at: http://helpout.spaceout.com.au

Financial Donations

Flood relief appeals such as the Qld Flood Appeal and the Victorian Flood Appeal (managed by the Red Cross) have done a superb job at raising funds to help support flood victims, and these appeals are clearly the best way for you to make financial donations.

Business Support

The recently announced Qld Flood National Business Donations Register offers a great method for businesses to offer support to flood victims (Australia wide), with many businesses already offering pledges for a wide variety of products and services.

How Can Ordinary Aussies Help?

There are still plenty of ordinary Australians desperate to help, but not sure how to  .  However, it is still very difficult for individuals, many of whom live in or near flood affected areas, to find out the best way they can help and support their local community.

if you have muscle or manpower to volunteer you can register with Volunteering QLD who are coordinating volunteer efforts in Queensland, but there are plenty of other ways that you can provide practical, hands on support for flood victims.  It is often the simple, seemingly little things, that can make the biggest difference in supporting those affected by floods.

An innovative new service called HelpOut, has been established specifically to connect those people who need help with those who are able to provide help.  This service allows individuals living in or near flood affected communities, to list the types of help they can offer.  Perhaps more importantly though, HelpOut also allows those people directly affected by flood, many of whom are in desperate need of assistance, to specify exactly the type of assistance that they need.

HelpOut allows people to search by location (town, suburb or postcode), and presents offers and calls for help on a map – so it is very easy to see what help is available (or need) in specific areas.

If you Need Help

If you have been affected by the floods and are in need of something specific, you can create a Help Wanted listing for free on HelpOut (or if you don’t have internet access, get a friend to do it on your behalf).  Enter your street name and town/suburb, a description of what you need, and (if you want) a contact number.  Your listing will be presented to anyone searching your area to see how they can help, they can then contact you (via our internal message system) to offer their services and exchange contact details.

If you want to Help

First of all, search your local area in HelpOut for Help Wanted listings to see if there is anyone seeking assistance already.  If there is already a listing for someone you can help, you can contact them and discuss how you can offer assistance directly.  If not, you can create a Help Offered Listing (for free) outlining what you have to offer and what area you are able to provide it.

HelpOut has been developed specifically to make it easier for local communities to help themselves. By putting people wanting to help, directly in touch with those needing help, we ensure that the support that is needed can be given to those who most need it.

For a list of suggestions as to how you may be able to help see : How You Could Help

SpaceOut is very good at hooking up people who have something, with those that need something. HelpOut extends on this functionality, and helps local communities help themselves, by assisting the people who really need it.

We have already had a fabulous response – with hundreds of listings offering help. However, we currently have very few listing from people seeking help, as many of the flood victims are still without power/internet, and are busy dealing with other issues.

Help Wanted Listings are being taken up very quickly – evidence that people are keen to help, but need guidance as to how, where and when they can provide assistance.

Now and in the coming weeks and months, home and business owners affected by flood waters will continue to need assistance, in many different ways to put them on the road back to a normal life. The types of assistance required is going to become clearer as the massive coordinated volunteer programs wind down, and new, more localised and specific needs for help become apparent.

HelpOut is perfect for putting people offering help, in touch with those needing it – within their own local communities.

What Can You Do?

Obviously you should donate to the Flood Appeal if you can afford to. You should also get involved in volunteer programs (through Volunteering QLD for example). But one of the best ways you can make HelpOut as effective as possible, is to simply spread the word – particularly to those people who have been directly affected.

To help spread the word you can do any (or all) of the following :

• Email a link to this post to friends, family, colleagues and contacts, or pick up the phone and tell them about it.
• If you have friends or family directly affected by floods, consider posting a listing on HelpOut on their behalf (it’s free)
• Talk about HelpOut on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter (we’ve added Facebook Share and Tweet buttons to the HelpOut site to make this easier for you)
• Download, Print off, and post up this Flyer in your workplace or around your local community, and in particular around flood affected communities
• Phone up talk back radio and contact you mates in the media to let them know about this free service
• Let us know of anything we could do to improve or promote HelpOut

We are confident, that with the support of SpaceOut members, and the community in general, that HelpOut can make a significant impact in flood affected communities on the road back to normality.

Since the HelpOut service was launched just a few days ago, we have had thousands of visitors, and the number of listings and offers of assistance to flood victims is growing every day.

Currently, almost all the HelpOut listings so far are offers of help, with very few calls for assistance.  This is not really surprising, as those directly affected by the floods have plenty on their hands at the moment, and getting online (even if they can get internet access) to see what help is available, is not really a priority.  Over time though, as the floods eventually ease, and flood victims get back to their homes and businesses and the cleanup process begins, we anticipate that there will be an increasing number of “Help wanted” listings posted.

At the moment , if you are able to offer any sort of assistance to flood victims, no matter where you are, please create a listing (it will then remain active for 1 month unless you cancel or renew it), and check back regularly to see if there is anyone in your area who could do with a helping hand.

We would also like to encourage friends and families of  flood victims to keep an eye out on HelpOut for any offers of assistance that might be of benefit to them… and even consider responding to the listing on their behalf.

Tell your mates

If you like what HelpOut is trying to do, and believe (like we do) that it is going to be of great benefit to the flood victims, please spread the word about it by telling friends, families colleagues, and sending them links to the site.  Talk about HelpOut on Facebook, and Tweet about it to your mates.  The more people that get to know about this service, the more effective it is likely to be.

We’ve also created a simple flyer which you can download, print, and put up in your work place or community noticeboard to help spread the word.

HelpOut Feedback

We’ve had lots of feedback to HelpOut so far – here is a selection :

• Very good resource hope it helps.
• Great job!
• Great concept. Only real problem currently is that people impacted by the floods won’t be able to access the system
• What a wonderful idea. Congratulations.
• Don’t forget the people in WA that have been flooded.
  (a very good point – although the focus at the moment is maybe the QLD floods, HelpOut can also be used for WA Fires, and VIC and SA Fllods too)
• What a great idea for people in need.
• Great idea, more advertising needed to let people know its here.
  (Here here, we agree, we are doing what we can to spread the word, but you can help too)
• What a wonderful website. That Queensland community spirit truly shining through. Congratulation on a great way to help connect those that need help with those that are offering help.
• Great idea for those of us who have no idea how we can offer help to flood victims- thankyou
• brilliant site..i see it helping many..great idea
• Great to see something like this
• great concept – it’s nice to see something so positive coming into the forefront

If you like what HelpOut has to offer, please spread the word.  If you don’t like it – or could suggest how we could improve the service, please let us know – we would LOVE your feedback.