WAGGA has been declared the third most generous town in Australia, with a new report showing locals rallied behind a diverse range of causes throughout the year.
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GoFundMe's annual Year in Giving report has listed Wagga on its top 10 list for three consecutive years, with residents proving that not even a pandemic can stop them from lending a hand.
The report also shines a light on the platform's fundraiser successes, providing an opportunity to reflect on the challenges beneficiaries continue to face when attention surrounding their cause begins to decline.
Former Miss Wagga Stina Constantine had a fundraising page created on her behalf earlier this year after an administrative error saw her denied a visa.
Nine months later, she remains astounded by the $17,000 the community generated in order to cover her legal battle.
"Going back to when I realised how much money was coming in and how quickly it was coming in, within 24 hours of us putting the word out there we had already paid off the first bill," she said.
"I cried because I couldn't believe that people believed my story, what I was going through and felt that I was worthy enough to fight for."
"I also shouldn't have been surprised ... I knew this was a very generous town, but being the person who experienced the benefit of that was overwhelming." Ms Constantine was granted a two-year graduate visa in August, and has since asked that donations be halted until she has better clarity regarding her future visa options.
In the meantime, she continues her work for Country Hope and Relationships Australia as a social worker, witnessing Wagga's openhandedness on a regular basis.
"I think Wagga has always been very good at supporting people who are part of the Wagga community," she said.
"It's just sometimes really hard to be heard. I think that's probably where GoFundMe has been really helpful."
GoFundMe senior regional manager Jelena Avramovic congratulated Wagga for its ongoing generosity, stating whenever a cause listed Wagga as its location, she was confident it would be well supported.
"What has been really interesting this year is with the uncertainty around COVID, there's been an extra layer of distress in times of need," she said.
"COVID this year has really accelerated the generosity ... it's equally inspiring as it is surprising."
Wagga wasn't the only Riverina town to make the top 10 list, with Albury's eighth place ranking proving the local communities continue to band together in times of need.
"These regions and smaller towns have a very close knit community," Ms Avramovic said.
"The beauty of that for me is someone can share a story and it spreads through community fairly quickly."
Hervey Bay in Queensland took out this year's top spot as most generous.
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