With Christmas providing opportunities for local communities to give to the less fortunate, and this bushfire season allowing moments for communities to band together and donate, summer has shown us tremendous displays of goodwill in Shepparton.
Since moving here, I’ve covered Kialla’s Peppermill Inn bushfire relief concert, Shepparton bar The Deck allocating bar sales to the bushfire-affected, Red Cross workers between trips to Mallacoota, and articles on our heroes, Shepparton's firefighters, old and new.
My new colleague Madi Chwasta has a story in today’s News about $100 000 being raised at a Shepparton bushfire appeal on Thursday night.
Sometimes, goodwill feel-good stories are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to acts of kindness. We cover the highlights and summarise the main points, but it’s harder grasping the time, money, blood, sweat and tears that go into a lot of these donations, fundraising events and initiatives.
These sacrifices, to make other lives better, make our community tick.
It’s been a brilliant introduction to my new hometown, meeting people who dedicate their lives to acts of kindness.
But not everyone in Shepparton can proudly say they’ve given money, and this is understandable. Some aren’t in a financial position to do so, whereas others tell me they’re sceptical about giving, as not all the money they donate goes directly to the victims.
I have a simple solution for anyone who can’t donate cash: if you can, donate blood.
You save three lives per donation and there’s a large demand for blood from people nationwide.
One in 30 Australians pull up their sleeves and get hooked up to the tubes, but one in three Aussies will need a blood donation in their lifetime.
If you can’t donate blood or money, then try donating time to whatever causes are close to your heart.
Not everyone can be Mother Theresa; and, with so many good causes out there, one can become overwhelmed in a supermarket of goodwill initiatives.
Work up a sweat at the Salvos’ soup kitchen (without sweating in the soup), pick up rubbish around Victoria Park Lake, donate at Vaughan St’s Red Cross Lifeblood centre or become part of a fun run for charity.
If we all show kindness to our community by sacrificing blood, money, sweat and tears, Shepparton will be a better place.
Trust me, you’ll feel better for it.
Call Red Cross Lifeblood on 13 14 95 to book in a donation time.
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