Climate change has caused heavy rainfall which caused record-breaking floods in Queensland and New South Wales in early 2022. It has caused immense hardship for our community; a lot of businesses and family homes were submerged in water. Lismore is a city in north-eastern New South Wales. Following days of flooding in Brisbane, the Wilsons River at Lismore reached 14.4 metres. Nearly all the CBD was completely underwater. ACCF flood Appeal – Lismore was launched in March 2022 and ran through till May 2022. $40,000 was raised for the Lismore community. All donations were forwarded to Lismore Council Flood Appeal Fund.
Unexpectedly, heavy rainfall and flooding continued up till October 2022. By the end of the month, swollen rivers flooded landscapes from Southern Queensland and New South Wales to Northern Victoria. Once again, ACCF launched ACCF Flood Relief – Here4You on 1 December 2022. This time the appeal focused on direct assistance to families and communities affected by flood. The Foundation had chosen Australian Lions Foundation (ALF) as the sole beneficiary of this fundraising campaign. Like ACCF, ALF is a funding body and provides emergency grants to local Lions Clubs in the flood-stricken communities. Total donations received was $92,924 and the full amount was forwarded to ALF. These donations are used to provide the community with basic needs to return to home and start over. This includes items such as, white goods, bedding, linen, pillow, lounge furniture, kitchen, wardrobes, dining tables and chairs etc.
COVID-19 APPEAL – FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS
$42,275 was raised and donated to UNICEF which carried out ongoing coronavirus related projects in China at the time of the outbreak.
COVID-19 SPECIAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
In April 2020, ACCF launched the ACCF COVID-19 Special Financial Assistance for International Students program in partnership with Metro Assist, The NSW Spanish & Latin American Association for Social Assistance Inc., Uniting Harris Community Centre, Counterpoint Community Services, Advance Diversity Services and Australian Indian Sports Educational & Cultural Society Inc. The project provided $300 cash to each international student who applied and met the criteria of the project by our partner agencies. A total of $33,000 was distributed.
RELIGIOUS AND MULTICULTURAL LEADERS RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE
As part of the measures to overcome the pandemic, more than 30 religious and multicultural community leaders including our ACCF Chairman Mrs. Monica Chu have come together to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This aimed at encouraging the community to get vaccinated. Together in unity and with mutual support, we can overcome this pandemic.
FACE MASKS & DISINFECTANT SPRAYS DONATION
ACCF worked in partnership with generous donors of face masks and disinfectant sprays and had made a number of donations to frontline workers and vulnerable community groups during the pandemic. Below is a summary of the activities:
Bushfire was burning out of control across the country and in particular in the states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria in 2019. On 12 December 2019, ACCF launched the “Bushfire Emergency Relief Appeal” to help communities affected by the devastating bushfires across the nation. A total of $171,874 was raised and donated to The Salvation Army to support fellow Australians badly affected by this unprecedented disastrous phenomenon. Our donations was used to provide direct assistance (emergency evacuation and later recovery and rebuilding phases) to families and communities affected by bushfire. For more details, please refer to our report below.
The entire State of NSW was gripped in one of the worst droughts on record in 2018. ACCF launched “We Stand as One with Local Farmers – Dilly Drought Drive” fundraising appeal in September 2018 to help the devastated rural community to purchase animal feeds and water. After much research, Wollondilly Shire was chosen as the beneficiary of this appeal as 100% of the area was in drought. Wollondilly Shire is located on the south-western outskirts of Sydney at the foothills of the Southern Highlands and is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty and rural pastures. It’s 2,560 square kilometres stretch from Yanderra in the South, Appin and Menangle in the East, Warragamba in the North, and the Nattai wilderness, Yerranderie and Burragorang Valley to the West.
In October 2018, a cheque of $110,000 was presented to Mayor Judith Hannan of Wollondilly Shire at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner. A further $60,185 was donated to the community in early 2019. Hence, a grand total of $170,185 was raised and donated to the farmers of Wollondilly Shire. Mrs Monica Chu, Chairman of the Foundation also declared the Appeal was closed on 9 February 2019.
Ms Sharon Robertson, Founder and Coordinator of the Dilly Drought Drive, shared the extraordinary community effort in an interview, which you can view in the PDF file here.
On Sunday 18th March 2018, a raging fire swept through a small seaside town of Tathra on the NSW South coast destroying 65 houses, 35 caravans & cabins and damaging another 48 homes. Whilst it is miraculous that no one is seriously injured in the fire, the devastation to the Town and to the victims who have their properties, belongings and most of all their memorabilia destroyed was immense.
At this time of distress, Australian Chinese Charity Foundation would like to show to the victims of the fire, the Rural Fire Services, the Fire and Rescue NSW and all the volunteers that we stand behind supporting them on their journey to rebuilding their life. Australian Chinese Charity Foundation has donated $20,000 to the Bega Valley Shire Council’s Mayoral Appeal Fund which is set up to ensure all funds are distributed equitably and consistently to those who are directly affected by the fire emergency. The cheque was presented to the Hon. Andrew Constance, MP, Member for Bega and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure at 6:30pm on Wednesday 28/3/2018 at his Ministerial Office at level 16, 52 Martin Place, Sydney.
Australian Chinese Charity Foundation wishes to use this donation as an appeal to the broader Chinese community to support the Bega Valley Shire Council’s Mayoral Appeal Fund to show that the Australian Chinese Community would stand side by side with the Tathra bush Fire Victims at times of needs.
Financial donations are tax deductable and can be made via:
• Electronic bank transfer:
BSB: 012525
Account: 837535154
• Credit Card over the phone, call 02 6499 2345 (between 9:00am-4:30pm)
MEDIA RELEASEFRIDAY, 8th MAY 2015A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal just before midday on Saturday, 25 April, killing thousands of people. More than 7,000 people have been killed and more than 15,000 injured, with figures expected to increase as search and rescue teams continue to reach remote areas. Eight million people have been affected by this disaster, including two million people living in 11 severely affected districts. Immediate needs include food, shelter, water and sanitation, medical assistance, surgical kits and body bags.ChildFund has been assigned by the District Disaster Reduction Committee to provide emergency assistance in four affected villages, focusing on food, shelter, water and sanitation, child protection, education and livelihoods. ACCF is launching an appeal to support ChildFund Australia’s work in the devastated areas of Nepal.To date, special acknowledgement must be made to WayIn Network Inc., Ausfeng Event Productions Pty Ltd, Lions Club of Sydney Pacific Inc. and members of ACCF who have since pledged to support this appeal.Donations can be made to ChildFund Australia by Cheque, payable to ChildFund Australia (Postal address – P O Box 1174, Strathfield 2135) or via the Appeal weblink:
https://www.childfund.org.au/accf-nepal
(donations $2 or more to ChildFund Australia is tax deductible)
This Appeal will close on 15 June 2015.
For any queries regarding this Appeal, please contact:
• ACCF Chairman – Mr Samuel Chu (Mob 0403 472 753), samuelsnchu@gmail.com
• ACCF Treasurer – Mr Kevin Cheung (Mob 0413 678 633), kevin.p.cheung@unikcgroup.com
MEDIA RELEASE
1 April 2015On 13th March, 2015, Vanuatu was hit by a category 5 cyclone Pam, the most severe cyclone in its history, resulting in wide spread destruction and loss of life. Wind gusts of 320kmph had torn trees from the earth, ripped roofs off schools, flattened thousands of homes and blown whole villages away. On Efate Island, where the capital Port Vila is located, an estimated 90% of structures are damaged or destroyed. A state of emergency has been declared for Shefa Province, including Port Vila, and an estimated 60,000 children have been affected.
In Port Vila access to clean water and hygiene is dangerously scarce.Australian Chinese Charity Foundation is launching an appeal to support ChildFund Australia’s effort to rebuild schools that have had their roofs ripped off in the cyclone and ensure safe, clean drinking water can be made available as soon as possible. Specifically, ChildFund Australia’s focus is by helping:
Donations can be made to ChildFund Australia by Cheque, payable to ChildFund Australia (Postal address – P O Box 1174, Strathfield 2135) or via the Appeal weblink:
https://www.childfund.org.au/accf
(donations $2 or more to ChildFund Australia is tax deductible)
This Appeal will close on the 15/4/2015.
For any queries regarding this event, please contact:
In October 2013 NSW was hit by a series of devastating bushfire destroying hundreds of homes and bushland with the worse of fires in the Greater Blue Mountains Area. A state of emergency was declared at the time. ACCF launched a NSW Bushfire Appeal to the Chinese community. A total of $71,000 was raised.
In April 2013, China was hit by an earthquake of magnitude 7 with epicenter located in Lushan County, Ya’an, Sichuan. The earthquake had resulted in hundreds of fatalities and over 10,000 people were injuired. Several townships suffered major damage and buildings collapsed. Together with TVBA and Sing Tao Newspaper, ACCF launched a major appeal to assist the victims of the disaster. $151,519.39 was raised through the various activities organised including a major fund raising dinner on the 5th May, 2013. All the money was subseqently handed over to World Vision for their work involved with this earthquake.
ACCF initiated fundraising to assist the victims of Cyclone Larry which hit North Queensland in March 2007. The Cyclone inflicted much damage to the area, resulting in the loss of homes, schools, farms and infrastructure. An ACCF team travelled to Queensland to visit some of the families affected and to contribute $12,000 towards the Cyclone Larry disaster relief fund.ACCF supported the appeal held by Lions Club International to assist those who have suffered from the “Big Drought.” ACCF donated $5000 as a seed contribution towards this cause and also attended many of the fundraising events in support of drought relief appeal.
ACCF raised $105,000, together with the Chinese media, for the Pakistan earthquake disaster relief effort. This was donated via World Vision Australia. $50,000 of this fund was donated by Mr & Mrs Henry Ngai of ABC Tissue Products Pty Ltd.ACCF raised $70,050 for the Xinjiang Snow Storm disaster relief effort. This was donated via the Australian Red Cross. $50,000 of this fund was donated by Mr & Mrs Henry Ngai of ABC Tissue Products Pty Ltd.
ACCF rallied the Chinese community to collect for the Tsunami Disaster Relief effort. More than $400,000 was raised by ACCF, together with other members of the Chinese community, and donated through World Vision.
ACCF raised over $128,000 for the 2003 Community Disaster Fund as a result of bushfire and drought in New South Wales.
ACCF raised over $200,000 for the Christmas 2002 Bushfire Appeal.
ACCF took a significant role in the fundraising campaigns for East Timor and the earthquake in Taiwan. Amounts of approximately $70,000 were donated to Buddhist Tzu-Chi Relief Foundation to aid the Taiwan victims and of approximately $30,000 were donated to Care Australia to aid the victims of East Timor.