2020 is upon us, and with that comes a wave of new changes in life. Like all things, some are good and some are bad. But within the realm of memes surrounding WW3 and other such topics, there’s a very serious issue that isn’t getting discussed as much as it should:Australia.
Australia is currently facing country-destroying bushfires. Despite the sudden up-swing of awareness towards it, Australia has been battling the flames since September with the fires only getting worse as time moves on. Countless homes have been destroyed and numerous animals and even some people have lost their lives to the fires. There have been a lot of firefighters and volunteers trying to put the flames out, but Australia still needs as much help as it can get. While at first it may seem daunting to think of ways to make an impact as a college student, there are still a few ways to help Australia.
First and foremost, raise awareness. While most people know of the current crisis, there are still a few who don’t truly realize how severe it actually is. Again, the fires have been raging since September of 2019 and the fire season is still supposed to last for a few months after January. Even if the flames were finally all put out in February, that would be six months alone of record-breaking damage and destruction. And this doesn’t just mean homes and land, this includes many of Australia’s unique wildlife, many of which were on the endangered species list even before the fires started.
A second way to help Australia is by direct donations. There are multiple places to give money to, most of which are through Australian organizations. USA Today has actually compiled an extensive list of all the different places to donate to, some of which include the Australian Red Cross, the fire stations for both Victoria and New South Wales, the Australian nonprofit GIVIT, the Koala Hospital and many, many more. A donation of any kind to any of these places, listed or not, can help provide for the people and animals who have lost their homes. Finally, another way to make an impact is by donating to organizations outside of Australia. For example, through World Wildlife Fund you can adopt an Australian animal in need and use your donation to help with the bushfire crisis. Bindi Irwin and the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital have treated over 90,000 animals from the fires and are continuing to care for more. Even some students have started some fundraisers with gifts and other incentives for their peers to donate to those in need.
Sometimes it can feel overwhelming for a broke college student who just wants to help to even know where to start. I know that’s how I felt at first. But with a little time and research, it isn’t hard to find plenty of great ways to assist our friends across the globe. From celebrities like Selena Gomez donating $3 million to a simple Instagram post just spreading awareness and calling people to action, anything can be useful to helping put the fires out. Always remember, there is no such thing as an unimpactful good deed.
