During times of Disaster Good360 works with our business partners, member charities and eligible schools to connect the right goods to the right people when they are needed most. Australia has had a rough start to 2020 as we move from one disaster to another from drought, bushfires, floods and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever Good360 is committed to our mission of helping transform the lives of Australians in need through the distribution of needed goods.
But how does Good360 make this happen?
Taking Pledges
In the initial stages of a disaster Good360 reaches out to our extensive network of donors to ask them to pledge support to our Disaster Recovery efforts. Disaster Recovery is a marathon not a sprint and we need to be prepared to face each stage over the coming weeks, months and years from preparedness to response, recover, rebuild and refurnish all the way through to relive. These pledges are essential because while we may not need an item in the initial stages it is almost certain that we will need it down the track. This is about getting the right goods where they are needed and when they are needed most.
What are the right goods?
Good360 need a way to identify the immediate and future needs of those affected by disasters. To do this our team develops surveys for any charity or school in a disaster-affected area to complete. This allows us to collate data on exactly what is needed, where and when. The survey is both for members and non-members to complete to make sure everyone who requires Good360’s assistance receives it. From this survey, the team then creates a list of goods needed which new and existing donors can then view.
Good360 is a matchmaker
With both our pledged supporters and survey results in hand Good360 can then do what it does best – connect the goods with the communities in need. Since January, Good360 has matched over 515,000 goods requested to disaster-affected communities.
Items matched include brands such as Woolworths, BIG W, L’Oréal, Colgate-Palmolive, WINC, Harvey Norman and Anaconda and many more. For example, the following graphic outlines 4 recent matches from BIC, SC Johnson, Sealy and The Body Shop and their impact in disaster-affected communities:
Good360 continues to match Australian’s impacted by recent disasters, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic with the right goods, to the right people, when they are needed most.
Community Impact
Charity Sancss Australia recently received a range of BIG W, LEGO and BIC items which they were able to give to Bruthen Primary School in East Gippsland. This area was recently devastated by bushfires and the new supplies provided a much-needed lift and helped students get their minds off the fires.
“The donation of Art supplies has certainly boosted the resources our students can now use in Art and they can’t wait to get in there on Friday and start using everything. I had to hold them back from getting in and using everything straight away before it was even all unpacked.” – Teacher Bruthen Primary School.
The school has used the LEGO for their LEGO Club and Playgroup and will also be used in the classrooms so that students can use it in their everyday learning. Now they have enough resources to start their our own LEGO Masters competition, and the LEGO will also be used to create masterpieces for students to exhibit in the Bairnsdale Show in Term 3.
Good360 will continue to work to get the right goods to the right people when they are most needed in the Disaster Recovery Process. If you would like to support Good360 either with donations of brand new bulk product or with a cash contribution please visit good360.org.au for more information. If you are a charity or school affected by the recent disasters and would like to receive support from Good360 please complete our Disaster Recovery Survey and register.
