Providing critical support to rural communities: QFF welcomes Rural Aid as Charity Partner

Last year QFF were proud to welcome Australia’s most trusted rural charity Rural Aid onboard as our official Charity Partner. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster by providing financial, water, fodder and volunteer assistance.

During the bushfires that impacted more than 800,000 hectares across Queensland last spring, Rural Aid partnered with the Queensland government in providing direct support to primary producers through emergency fodder drops, as well as on the ground counselling services to provide care to those affected.

For Rural Aid to help you they need to know who you are. If you are a farming family, now is the time to register with Rural Aid. It is quick and easy to do, and if you register before a disaster strikes, you will be far better off than if you were to try to do so during or after an event.

Once you are in the Rural Aid system, their team will contact you when they are in your area with hay, volunteers, or water tanks, and they will also let you know when they are running workshops or offering other services locally.

All you need to do to get started is visit the Rural Aid website’s Farmer Registration page at faa.ruralaid.org.au and provide some basic identification documents, including your Primary Producer Declaration which is found on your vehicle registration forms or otherwise available via your accountant.

Rural Aid also offers a free and confidential professional counselling service for farmers and their families. Critically, counselling is conducted at the place that best suits the farmer, whether that be on farm, in town or over the phone. Rural Aid counsellors have a solid understanding of the unique needs of rural Australians, offering practical strategies to help farmers refocus and get back on track.

Charitable organisations such as Rural Aid are an essential component of the recovery effort in disaster stricken rural communities, as the faster recovery starts, the faster impacted farming families can begin to return to normal. Rural Aid plays a critical role in this regard, helping primary producers get back to speed financially, mentally, and operationally.

If you would like to support Rural Aid’s efforts you can find several ways to do so on their website including monthly giving or one-off donations, volunteering or getting involved through a fundraising campaign.

Learn more about the different ways you can help by visiting www.ruralaid.org.au or calling 1300 327 624. If you are primary producer seeking support and you can’t find the service listed above, I’d also encourage you to visit the website and sign up. Rural Aid offer educational resources and other support to meet individual needs on a case-by-case basis.