The Black Saturday bushfires will long be remembered as the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history. There have been major reviews and enquiries about cause and effect, the adequacy or otherwise of post-disaster responses. There have been community gatherings, sacred and secular, to honour those who died and support the bereaved. There have been so many stories told of devastation and resilience, despair and hope, destruction and rebuilding.

Amongst the many generous responses by the community the Uniting Church Bushfire Disaster Appeal reflected the concern and the generosity of our people. Since the Black Saturday bushfires more than 5,000 generous donors have contributed $2,023,035.60 through the appeal. More than $1.9 million has been distributed to assist with initial emergency relief and community programs for the longer term and renewal of affected communities. Click here to read the latest newsletter about the work made possible by donations.  Copies of the previous Bushfire Appeal updates are also available here October 2009 and April 2009.

While the Black Saturday bushfires no longer receive much media attention the survivors and their communities still need support and prayer for their recovery. This is highlighted by the fact that there are still seven families living in the temporary villages run by Uniting Church Camping in Kinglake and Marysville.

As we mark the 3rd anniversary of the bushfires we have made the decision to close the appeal confident that the ongoing needs of affected individuals and communities will be addressed by the agencies and congregations involved. The Uniting Church recognises
that the rebuilding and recovery process for the affected communities and individuals is a long term, ongoing task. We remain committed to working closely with local groups to ensure the appropriate allocation of the remaining appeal funds to best meet their long term needs.

Thank you once again for responding to the appeal. And thank you to so many of our people who contributed in other ways – through work parties, chaplaincy, food packing, pastoral presence. I commend the survivors and their communities to your prayers; and those in our agencies and congregations who continue to minister amongst them in the name and spirit of Christ.

Rev Alistair Macrae
President National Assembly, Uniting Church in Australia

The study also found that parents and teachers say that media (TV, film, books, magazines, games, apps and Internet) can play an important role in communicating the value of character education.

The study called “It Starts with Character: Inspiring Kids & Teens to Volunteer” was commissioned by global publishing group Scholastic Media and HandsOn Network – the volunteer enterprise of Points of Light in the U.S.

Among the study’s findings from parent, teacher, kid and teen respondents:

• Parents (84 percent), teachers (78 percent), kids age 6–11 (73 percent), and teens age 12–17 (64 percent) say character-building skills are among the most important skills to develop along with academic skills in order to be successful in life.
• The more kids and teens are exposed to character-building skills, the greater their level of interest in volunteering. Additionally, kids and teens who are more exposed to character-building skills volunteer more frequently.
• Eighty-eight percent of parents and 93 percent of teachers believe that volunteering provides opportunities for children to build character.
• Ninety-four percent of parents and 98 percent of teachers agree that media can play an important role in teaching kids the value of character education; 63 percent of teachers believe that kids would benefit from more media exposure to lessons about character-building skills.

“This study demonstrates the importance of having curriculum for the heart as well as the head,” said Francie Alexander, Senior Vice President of Scholastic Education and Chief Academic Officer of Scholastic Inc.

“This survey reinforces the importance of ensuring that kids are able to discover their power to make a difference in their communities at an early age,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light.”

The survey results coincide with the launch of a national US volunteer competition to encourage young people into volunteering called BE BIG In Your Community’.

The study results can be viewed online at www.handsonnetwork.org/bebig

For more information, visit www.PointsofLight.org.

Source www.Probono.com.au