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$11.5 million in donations have helped Aussie farmers

All funds raised for our Help Aussie Farmers Appeal have now been distributed to farmers and their families in drought-affected parts of Australia. Back in August 2018 we asked you to dig deep for Aussie farmers who were battling severe drought and struggling to survive. You donated generously, and a total of $11.5 million was raised.

Drought Resilience Program

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Rob, a farmer in NSW who’s been struggling to keep his livestock healthy during the drought. Photo: Australian Red Cross/Aysha Leo.

A total of 7,452 grants of up to $3,000 were distributed and they have helped farming families relieve financial stress caused by the drought.

Families used these grants to pay for essentials such as household bills and rates, to cover school fees and vehicle costs and to pay for groceries.

Grants were provided through our distribution partners: the Country Women’s Association (NSW, Qld and SA), Rural Business Support (SA) and Rural Financial Counselling Service (Vic).

"We applied through the QCWA for food vouchers. A painless one-page application. Within five days of sending the form a fat little brown padded envelope arrived with $3,000 worth of vouchers. I was both stunned and thankful. A most humbling experience."
Queensland dairy farmer

Though the appeal may be over, Red Cross continues to work with farming communities, helping them cope and recover. We are running drought-specific recovery programs in NSW and Queensland, including Let’s Talk, which brings rural communities together to stay connected and support each other. Let’s Talk has supported events like sheepdog schools, ‘pamper days’, charity bike rides, trade and social media workshops and family fun days.

Red Cross continues to help communities across Australia prepare for and respond to disasters. In the last 12 months we responded to 48 emergencies, from drought to bushfires and house fires, floods, cyclones and acts of violence.

We’ve helped more than 64,000 Australians in that time, providing psychological first aid, a warm welcome at evacuation centres, information and referrals, recovery check-ins, and community events to restore spirit and hope.

Help is still available

Drought assistance is available through the National Farmers Federation. Farmers are encouraged to visit farmhub.org.au for more information.

Wherever there's a disaster, emergency, conflict or crisis, your support means Red Cross will be there.

Donate to our Disaster Relief and Recovery work online or by calling 1800 RED CROSS (733 276).

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