Donation platform GIVIT has responded to the sharp rise in Covid relief requests from vulnerable Aussies, facilitating the donation of more than 70,000 essential items in the capital alone.
The not-for-profit is now working with more than 50 support organisations across the territory, after launching the COVID-19 Relief Program in 2021.
Through the Program, GIVIT has gifted more than one million essential items to Aussies in need. Still, there are more than 2,000 requests for support currently on the website just from the ACT.
GIVIT National Engagement Officer, Breanna Thompson, flagged the compounding issues shown by recent research from the Australian Institute of Criminology, demonstrating a spike in domestic violence in Australian households since the pandemic began.
“The pandemic has created extra barriers for people experiencing domestic and family violence seeking to access support services,” said Ms Thompson.
“We have also seen escalating rates of homelessness and financial hardship across the state, with many people now at breaking point.”
The GIVIT website matches vulnerable Australians with donors from across the country, who provide clothing, toiletries, mobile phones, groceries, school supplies, furniture, household goods and more.
It recently assisted a Canberran woman suffering from the debilitating impacts of COVID-19 infection.
“This woman was admitted to hospital with health complications both physically and mentally,” said Ms Thompson.
“Following her discharge from hospital, she was overwhelmed by the state of her home, which was full of mould and unhygienic conditions.”
As the woman was not physically well enough to clean her home, a Canberra charity within the GIVIT network put out a request for assistance.
GIVIT was able to arrange a professional cleaning service and cleaning materials to ensure the woman had a safe and clean home to recover in.
Ms Thompson said that support organisations are often stretched in terms of resources, and can struggle to source essential items.
“GIVIT can provide donations to help meet this demand to ensure people get exactly what they need, when they need it,” she said.
With requests for help on the GIVIT platform more than doubling since the beginning of the pandemic, NRMA and RACV joined forces to deliver $2 million to fund the GIVIT COVID-19 Relief program in September 2021. The program will run for two years.
To assist people impacted by the pandemic in your local community, visit givit.org.au/covid-19-relief-program and filter by location.
Local charities and frontline services in need of donated goods and services can register at givit.org.au/charity-registration.
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