One million essential items distributed to pandemic impacted Australians

One year on from NRMA Insurance and RACV jointly donating $2 million to establish GIVIT’s COVID-19 Relief Program, GIVIT has achieved an important milestone – distributing more than one million essential items and services to pandemic impacted people and communities across Australia. 

GIVIT is a not-for-profit donation platform that matches the needs of Australian people and organisations with donors from across the country.  

A video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFZkvDJCDJI) outlining the impact of the program and partnership has been released today. The video showcases a recipient organisation – A Better Life For Foster Kids – who provide ‘Crisis Cases’ with essential items that children need when they are entering a new care placement.  Each year, A Better Life For Foster Kids provides Crisis Cases to around 1600 children, to ensure their needs are taken care of with dignity.

Midway through the two-year national initiative, GIVIT’s COVID-19 Relief Program continues to connect people and community organisations to essential items and services via an online warehouse, which includes items such as clothing, toiletries, mobile phones, groceries, school supplies, furniture, and household goods.

Since forming the program, some of the most requested items have been:

• Groceries and toiletries

• Craft supplies including children’s colouring-in books and pencils 

• Baby essentials including nappies, wipes and formula 

• Clothing 

Donation metrics to date include:

• VIC, over 12,000 requests and over 200,000 essential items delivered 

• NSW, almost 3,000 requests and over 270,000 essential items delivered 

• ACT, over 2,000 requests and over 70,000 essential items delivered 

• WA, 200 requests and over 300,000 essential items delivered

• QLD, over 800 requests and over 125,000 essential items delivered

• SA, 2,000 requests and over 30,000 essential items delivered 

• TAS, 3,000 requests and over 10,000 essential items delivered 

• NT, over 22,000 essential items delivered (no requests at present)  

IAG’s Executive General Manager Safer Communities Ramana James said: “NRMA Insurance are delighted that our joint contribution with RACV to establish the ‘COVID-19 Relief Program’ has resulted in GIVIT achieving such a significant milestone. To have facilitated more than one million donations to support Australians in need of essential items during the pandemic, is simply a remarkable outcome.

“We remain intently focused on not only helping communities recover from large-scale events, whether that be the pandemic or recent extreme weather events, but also in building community resilience ahead of future events through education around risk mitigation and disaster preparedness activities.”

RACV General Manager Social Impact and Corporate Communications Louise Steinfort said: “RACV is very pleased to see the impact GIVIT is having on the communities it has provided essential items to who need the support.  Even a small item can make a big difference to someone’s life.” 

GIVIT CEO Sarah Tennant said: “The pandemic created extra barriers for vulnerable people seeking to access support services. We’ve seen an escalation in rates of domestic and family violence, homelessness and financial hardship. The GIVIT COVID-19 Relief Program has allowed our community partners to rapidly meet the urgent needs of Australians and ensure that people have access to the everyday items we all require.” 

To access the appeal, visit: givit.org.au/nrma-racv