12 months on from the Queensland floods (one of Australia’s biggest natural disasters), families are starting to get there lives back in order and SpaceOut is very proud to say that we were able to help – in many small but significant ways.
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
