By Melbourne, Australia Relief (Originally in English)
In January and February 2013, the worst bushfires in more than 40 years struck southeastern Tasmania, severely affecting both humans and wildlife in the area and destroying more than 200 homes. To help fire-affected individuals, Supreme Master Ching Hai sent AUD 20,000 and asked our Association members in Melbourne to provide assistance to those in need. Melbourne Center contributed AUD 1,970 and our team conducted the relief effort from February to May 2013.
Upon learning in February that the Australian government had already been giving care and financial assistance to the people, our Association members contributed a total of AUD 10,000 from Master’s fund to Southern Wildlife Rescue and Care, and to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Both were providing daily supplies of food and water to local wildlife. Upon receiving the much-needed funds, the staff members of both organizations were deeply touched.
After finding out that many people still needed drinking water due to contamination of local dams, we had bottled water delivered to the village of Dunalley, where over half of the buildings had been destroyed. We also contributed AUD 3,500 from Master’s fund to the Dunalley Tasman Neighborhood House and AUD 4,000 to the Holts Mitre 10 hardware store in Sorell to help the local community acquire tools, supplies and gardening equipment.
Another AUD 1,000 was given to an Association member from Tasmania to purchase warm clothes for those in need. In addition, our Melbourne Center contributed a laptop computer to the Volunteer Fire Brigade in Tasmania along with a selection of Supreme Master Ching Hai’s publications, with the hope that more people would transition to the compassionate, vegan lifestyle to reduce the number of such calamities in the future.
Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching and Her International Association
for the Fire Relief Work in Tasmania
Description | Amount (AUD) | Receipt |
---|---|---|
Cash contribution to Southern Wildlife Rescue and Care | 8,000 | A |
Cash contribution to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary | 2,000 | B |
Cash contribution to Dunalley Tasman Neighborhood House for tools, supplies and gardening equipment | 3,500 | C |
Cash contribution to Holts Mitre 10 hardware store in Sorell for tools, supplies and gardening equipment | 4,000 | D |
Bottled drinking water, warm clothes, petrol and miscellaneous | 4,470 | E |
Total | AUD 21,970 (US$21,094) |