Remember if you would like to donate online you can go directly to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund’s website (www.relieffund.org.au). If you want to help local people FAST. The Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund is set up to distribute your donation to local families as soon as you donate.
You can also donate to the fund at any NAB branch in Australia.

Traralgon South District Association community meeting at the Traralgon South Community Hall.
Monday 16th February from 7.00pm. There will be a BBQ provided from 6pm.
Representatives from the CFA, Department od Sustainability & Environment, the Salvation Army & Centrelink will be in attendance.

GippsTafe Charity Concert
A chance to enjoy a night out at the Top Pub Morwell
Next Wednesday February 18th from 7.30pm onwards

Cost of entry by gold coin donation and will go to the bush fire victims via GERF and your generosity will be rewarded with two hours of rock, pop, jazz, theatre tunes and originals by some of the excellent young musicians coming threw the music Academy

Mr O’Dowd encourages all to attend to support the students in their endeavors and to raise funds for this worthy cause

The Top Pub is providing the venue as part of its contributions to the bush fire relief effort.

For more information contact GippsTafe Music Department on 51204562.

Sound on Wheels Mobile
208 Commercial Rd Morwell

If you are an existing Yes Optus account holder and have been impacted by the fires please call our staff on 5174 7727 to register for up to 3 months bill relief.

Advantage Pharmacy Bairnsdale and Omeo
Advantage Pharmacy Bairnsdale and Omeo Depot will donate their net profit from sales on Friday 20th February to victims of the devastating Victorian bushfires.

Telstra have announced a relief package for its residential and small business customers in Victoria who have been forced from their homes or whose phone services have been affected by the recent bush fires.

Under the package Telstra is offering its affected customers:

• free call diversion from their fixed line to another fixed or mobile service of their choice;
• mobile calls charged at fixed line rates, in accordance with their selected HomeLine® or BusinessLine® plan, for local and STD® calls made on their mobile service, in situations where Telstra mobile customers have been evacuated from their homes or who have lost their service due to the fires.

To access the free call diversion or to report loss of their Telstra fixed service, customers should contact 13 22 03.

Volunteering Australia has responded to a request from the Victorian Government to establish a
registration process for people interested in becoming a volunteer.

Volunteering Australia CEO, Cary Pedicini, said that many people want to help. “At times like these
spontaneous volunteering happens but agencies cannot always handle the number of people
wanting to help who are not registered, trained and had the appropriate level of checks
undertaken. They are busy responding directly to the emergency. It is clear that welfare agencies
will need more volunteers to help them in the daunting recovery process as a significant amount of
welfare services are delivered by volunteers.”

People wishing to volunteer can go to www.govolunteer.com.au and register their details or they
can call the Information Victoria Bushfire Volunteer Line on 1300 366 356..

The Victorian Farmers Federation is working with farmers on the ground in the collection and distribution of fodder for the bushfire victims.

Any locals wanting to donate fodder, help with agistment or donate to the VFF's Bushfire Disaster Relief Fund can do so via the VFF's website or by calling 1300 882 833.

Sale Community Sports Club V Sale Cricket Club Twenty twenty Cricket Match
On Sunday 1st March @ 4.00 pm Sale Football Oval, Palmerston Street SALE.
Raffles & Prizes galore.  Any donation would be greatly appreciated.
ALL PROCEEDS TO BUSHFIRE APPEAL

These vouchers can be redeemed at your local My Chemist and Chemist warehouse pharmacies in Morwell, Sale and Traralgon. Please collect from your local Salvation Army offices.

Stockland has donated industrial warehouse space for 3 months to The Salvation Army Bushfire Relief Appeal.

1/  Hungry Jacks will provide the Relief Centre in Traralgon with $5,000 in Food Vouchers to distribute to local victims of the fires

2/  Hungry Jacks Traralgon will be a collection point for the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund with money tins in the store, so people can make a donation which will go directly to local fire victims.

3/  Traralgon franchisee - Tammy & Jim Fkiaras & Sons  - will also donate $10,000 to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund.

4/  The staff of Hungry Jacks Traralgon are getting together to make a donation, and for every dollar that they contribute Hungry Jacks Traralgon will match dollar for dollar.

5/  Commencing Monday 16th of February for one week, all Hungry Jacks Stores in Victoria will be donating .50c from every Whopper sold to the Victorian Bushfire Apeal. But Traralgon Hungry Jacks will be donating their share to the Gippsland Emergency Fund so that the money is distributed to local victims.

Under the package Telstra is offering its affected customers:

• free call diversion from their fixed line to another fixed or mobile service of their choice;
• mobile calls charged at fixed line rates, in accordance with their selected HomeLine or BusinessLine plan, for local and STD calls made on their mobile service, in situations where Telstra mobile customers have been evacuated from their homes or who have lost their service due to the fires.

To access the free call diversion or to report loss of their Telstra fixed service, customers should contact 13 22 03.

We have had a number of people call offering vacant rental properties and other accommodation for people who have lost their homes in the fire to use. The state government has established a tollfree Victorian Bushfire Accommodation Donation Line, on 1800 006 468. There are 40 lines with operators on standby from 8am – 8pm.

B & F Neilson Builders, Rob Wilson Real Estate and Employment Innovations are having a fundraising Auction Night on Thursday 5Th March at Zsip Cafe, Traralgon from 7pm.

In conjunction with the Variety Club which will receive the first $7000.00 already pledged with anything above this amount to be donated directly to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund.  (If we raise less than $14,000.00 all proceeds from the evening will be evenly divided between the two charities.)

Any Auction items can be brought to B & F Neilson Builders, 368 Princes Highway, Traralgon or they can organize to collect them from your place of business.

All funds donated to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund are directly distributed to our local community thus ensuring your support goes to those closest to us.

The Victorian Government is helping to coordinate the support for communities affected by bushfire. Anyone willing to volunteer time and skills should call the Information Victoria Bushfire Volunteer Hotline on 1300 366 356 (local call cost) or complete the registration form below.

Emergency and relief agencies are very grateful for the generous offers of assistance and are working with the Government to determine how to make best use of the help in coming days. Thank you to everyone offering support to the people affected by the bushfires.

Please note you may not be contacted immediately as agencies are concentrating on volunteers who are already trained.  Link: http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/volunteer

Rebecca asked if we could please give out this website and urge people to register online rather than giving out the phone number. This way people can register online and the Red Cross will get back to them regarding appointments.

Any locals wanting to donate fodder, help with agistment or donate to the VFF's Bushfire Disaster Relief Fund can do so via the VFF's website or by calling 1300 882 833.

The VFF also need fencing materials, generators and peoples time to help.