A new Instagram account started by Aussie legends Turia Pitt and Grace McBride is encouraging people to shop from the bushfire-affected businesses as a way to hopefully give back to the communities that have always relied heavily on the tourist dollar for their economic survival.
WATCH: Woman rescues a scorched koala from Australian bushfire
A common thread following these fires has been people asking how they can help fire-ravaged communities like Cobargo, Mallacoota and Bega in the long-term, once this horrendous fire season is over.
Enter: @spendwiththem.
The account has already garnered 58 thousand followers (and counting) with Turia explaining the concept of the project on her Instagram.
“Once these fires are finally ‘over’, it won’t be over for many of the local businesses in fire-ravaged towns. A lot of these places (like my home in Mollymook, and Mallacoota, Kangaroo Island, Eden, etc), rely on the tourist dollar for their very survival,” Pitt posted on Instagram.
“This is a way to put money directly in the pockets of the people and communities who need it the most, and need it NOW. Long after the threat is over and the choppers stop flying overhead. Long after summer ends and the wail of sirens ceases in the streets. Help them rebuild. Make them feel heard. Spend with them.”
There are loads of businesses that feature on Spend With Them, including Stony Creek Farm Distillery in Bega Creek, surf and clothing store Akwa Surf in Milton, and the Adelaide Hills winery Vinteloper.
Ecologists from the University of Sydney believe that almost half a billion total mammals, birds and reptiles have died since the fires began in September, with the current death toll of human life at at least 23.
If you would like to help with the Australian bushfire relief, you can donate to one of these charities:
– Victoria Country Fire Authority
– Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
– Support for firefighter families
– Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
And remember, beyond rebuilding these communities need our support. So if you want a new dress, some coffee beans or a bottle of wine, go onto Spend With Them and give your money to the people who need it most.
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