Church in Australia boosts
bushfire recovery funding
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| Remains of a burnt-out property in Bhuthan South in Victoria State on 4 January 2020 (ANSA) |
Several Catholic institutions in Australia dole out grants
for groups providing spiritual and psychological assistance to those affected
by widespread bushfires earlier this year.
By Devin Watkins
The Church launched Catholic Emergency Relief Australia
(CERA) in February to serve as a coordination point for Catholic agencies
responding to natural disasters.
On Tuesday, CERA announced that 15 Catholic organizations
have received funding to support their efforts to help those affected by this
year’s nationwide bushfires.
Black Summer
Large portions of Australia were scorched during the
2019-2020 bushfire season, which has come to be known as the Black Summer.
Fires ravaged over 18 million hectares between June 2019 and
May 2020.
At least 34 people were killed in the blazes, with over 400
others killed indirectly through smoke inhalation. Nearly 6,000 buildings were
destroyed, and an estimated 1 billion animals died as a result of the flames.
The bushfires burned nationwide, but the Northern Territory
and New South Wales were the worst-affected areas.
Grant recipients
In response, Catholic Emergency Relief Australia invited
organizations to apply for grants.
Twenty-four groups applied for funding, seeking around
AU$400,000.
Thanks to donations from Catholic communities across the
country, 15 of those organizations will receive a total of AU$110,000.
Recipients include several parishes, an aboriginal mentoring
program, projects aiming to support children, and counseling programs to help
people cope with the pain of loss.
Spiritual and emotional recovery
Susan Pascoe, chairperson of CERA, said the
funding focused on projects and programs to support people’s mental health
and trauma management.
She said the government and NGOs met most people’s
immediate, material needs in the wake of the bushfires.
“What will take much longer, though, is the spiritual,
emotional and psychological recovery,” she said. “The funding we have awarded
will focus especially on those aspects of people’s journey back to some sense
of normalcy.”
Grant recipients, she added, hail from all parts of
Australia.
“We once again thank those who have supported Catholic
Emergency Relief Australia by donating to this long-term recovery plan,” said
Ms. Pascoe, “and we are confident that the funding we provide will make a
difference in the lives of people affected by the bushfires.”
Catholic Emergency Relief Australia
CERA’s founding members include the Australian Catholic
Bishops Conference, Catholic Religious Australia, Catholic Social Services
Australia, and the National Catholic Education Commission.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society later joined in the
initiative.
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