The Australian Red Cross has set up the Victorian Bushfire Fund in partnership with Premier John Brumby to help assist individuals and communities affected by the devastating bushfires in Victoria.

With 180 lives already lost, this number is expected to increase as authorities access more homes and vehicles in which people attempted to escape the fires. The Red Cross is currently finding temporary accommodation, first aid and food for the many people who find themselves without a home.

 

Red Cross volunteers have dealt with over 6,000 enquiries in the past 24 hours alone from people around the world phoning to check on family and friends.

Over 400 volunteers and staff are continuing to work in rotating shifts at Red Cross call centres to help deal with the volume of calls from people checking on the welfare of evacuees.

Donations have been flying in from all over Australia via the web and phone, and there has been a hugely generous response from the corporate backbone of Australia. Please find the time to make a donation to help the survivors of this tragic disaster get back on their feet.

> > click here to make a donation to the Australian Red Cross

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

With Valentines Day fast approaching, why not surprise that special someone in your life with a charity gift this year?

Do you really think that another bunch of flower or a box of chocolates will win any brownie points this year? Does that really show how deep your love is? Remember, a partner is not just for Valentines, but for life. (and in some cases this may carry on past the grave into the after life if you play your cards right!)

So to celebrate your endless devotion to the one you love, why not buy them a dunny?

Who said romance was dead?

But this isn’t just any old love crazed gesture, the Oxfam Unwrapped toilet is a special gift which will be placed in refugee camps to helping reduce the risk of disease.

If you think that is a bit of a ‘pooey’ idea, then why not go all out and buy a chicken for your chick?!

An Oxfam Unwrapped chicken helps communities develop sustainable farming practices to create income to earn money for themselves and their families.

You could even sponsor a child with Plan for your loved one in a developing country to aid there development in education and health for as little as $1 a day

These presents are the gifts that keep on giving, and quite the conversation starter!

So why not really surprise someone this Valentine’s and also help others to help themselves…

> > click here to check out other fantastic charity gifts

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

The WSPA charity are fighting hard to stop the dreadful sport of bear baiting, which is still being performed in countries such as Pakistan. The WSPA managed to halt an event in February, saving the lives of two bears, who would almost certainly have been murdered by dogs for the pleasure of a baying crowd.

The WSPA’s first attempt to confiscate the bears was met with fierce resistance from the event organiser, who makes a lucrative wage from staging such events. In reaction to the objection, an appeal was made to the bear owners personally, explaining that they could help them find an alternative livelihood away from this barbaric sport. Thankfully, the owners recanted, and allowed the bears to be taken into the care of the WSPA.

Working alongside the Punjab Wildlife Committee (PBRC), the WSPA have helped dramatically reduce the number of bear baiting events, through working with the Pakistani government to push for the prosecution of illegal bear owners and calling for greater action against bear cub poachers. Also, by creating the Kund Park Sanctuary, the WSPA have created a home and a possilbe future for confiscated bears who would struggle to re-adapt to life in the wild.

> > click here to make a donation to the WSPA

Read our WSPA review

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."

Actress Natalie Imbruglia will be starring in the one hour documentary ‘Memory of Maia’ on Network Ten, an amazing insight into the incredible bear sanctuary of Romania.

Natalie travelled throughout the country alongside the alongside the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), helping to rescue imprisoned bears and relocate them to the forest sanctuary near the city of Brasov in Transylvania.

Romania is home to some of Europe’s most neglected bears, with the majority victims of the tourist industry, or rescued from private zoos and circuses. The program run by the WSPA is to try and confiscate all captive bears in Romania and educate local people and authorities about the importance of protecting these complex and intelligent animals and keeping them in the wild.

 

After visiting the sanctuary, Natalie said –

‘The sanctuary is absolutely amazing, I loved seeing the bears running around and interacting. It reminded me of children playing and it fascinated me seeing the connection they had with each other. Most of the bears had never experienced dirt underneath their paws or trees to hug and climb, and this sanctuary gives the bears the opportunity to do this and live the rest of their lives safe from harm.’

While a sanctuary is only one small part of the solution to the captive bear problem in Romania, it is a necessary safe haven for imprisoned bears that would simply have no other place to go.

In Memory of Maia is on Sunday, February 15 at 4pm on Network Ten.

> > click here to make a donation to the WSPA

"Please note, any prices mentioned in the Charity Gifts blog are correct at the time of posting. Please check the relevant website for the latest pricing information."