How do we formalise & expand upon the beautiful solidarity that we see during natural disasters?

Displayed on the image that accompanies this post is a question I’ve been pondering in recent days. I had to write about it.

As unfathomable as it may seem, we in Australia are far from the end our current bush fire season. But when the current crisis is over, and the images shown on the 24/7 news coverage of devastated communities fade from our screens (and they will), the road back for disaster victims is going to take a considerable amount of time, measured in years instead of months.

It’s going to take abundant resources that include money, social and mental health support. 

We know that traditional and new media coverage is positively correlated with donations following natural disasters. It’s too early to see if this current crisis will buck the trend, but it’s unlikely.

After a natural disaster, people are naturally empathetic. But the outpouring of empathy and tangible offers of support (financial or other) begin to fade shortly thereafter. Research actually shows us that charitable donations peak in the first six weeks after a natural disaster, and by fourteen weeks the streams of donations often all but dry up.

Compassion fatigue is the reduction in empathy that occurs when we’re exposed continually to the suffering of others.

We need to find a way to help our community to act on our better impulses for much longer than we are normally inclined to do.

I don’t have the answers. But I do know that the same organisations providing housing support, social and crisis relief, essential food and clothing items packages, will still be looking for consistent funding, donations and volunteers in 12 months’ time.

I offer these 3 suggestions:

1.   Consider staggering your donation (be it financial or other) over a lengthy period that corresponds to the victims’ recovery period.

2.   Think about ways you can volunteer your time more ongoing, in a local community service or similar. There are a wide range of diverse services out there (it’s not all soup kitchens), and they will often work around you to accommodate your efforts.

3.   Be an advocate. Write to your local members of parliament across all levels of government and advocate for better public policy to ensure that our system has safety nets for all people doing it tough, no matter what level of media spotlight is applied.

We’re stronger together.