A Gymea Bay woman is raising funds to supply rural firefighters who are battling the NSW bushfires with meals, clean clothes and wipes as well as mental health support.
Cassandra Scott organised the fundraiser on behalf of the NSW Rural Fire Service Association, which represents the 70,000 volunteers and staff of the NSW Rural Fire Service.
She set up a GoFundMe account last month after feeling helpless during the early days of the bushfire emergency.
Ms Scott, a small business owner who runs a strategic consultancy firm, said she was prompted to act after noticing ash falling from the sky while waiting to pick up one of her children from school.
"I was standing at the school gate with ash falling out of the sky, unable to do anything tangible to help, so thought I would try to support the organisation that was supporting the volunteers who are out there protecting us," she said.
"I wanted to find a really tangible way to help the volunteers so I contacted the NSW Rural Fire Service Association and they said they provide things like meals and clothing."
She said and her husband discussed making a donation to the association, before they decided to go a step further and start a fundraiser.
With the emergency only increasing since Ms Scott started the fund, she said now was the perfect time for the community to support those exhausted volunteer firefighters who have been battling bushfires across NSW for many weeks.
"We've heard so many comments in the shire expressing thanks for our rural firefighters and amazement at how they keep going," she said.
"We can't volunteer our time, we don't have the talents to fight the fires, but we thought we can support the firefighters by donating some money to the NSW RFSA."
Ms Scott has so far raised $4600 of her $100,000 goal.
GoFundMe will transfer money to the NSW Rural Fire Service Association each month, with the first instalment to take place this week. Direct deposits can also be made to the organisation via its website.
To make a GoFundMe donation click here.
