St Vincent De Paul Society NSW has announced two new bushfire recovery programs aimed at assisting communities to get back on their feet following the summer's bushfires.
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115 grants of up to $20,000 will be available for registered community organisations in bushfire-hit areas to assist with their own local recovery projects, whether it be infrastructure repairs or mental health support.
In a second community development program, experienced Vinnies community workers will be deployed in areas hardest hit by the bushfires to assist locals in formulating a plan for recovery.
The two programs are set to be funded by all remaining donations to the Vinnies Bushfire Appeal.
Vinnies CEO Jack de Groot said the new programs signalled a move from providing individual support to assisting communities as a whole.
"Our bushfire response so far has focused on supporting people on an individual level, and we are so grateful to Vinnies Bushfire Appeal donors for enabling us to distribute assistance to more than 4,560 households across Australia," he said.
"Now as we move towards longer-term recovery, in NSW we will focus on projects with community-wide benefit."
Kempsey in the mid-north is currently trialing the community development program, after which the program will be expanded to other communities.
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