General News
27 October, 2022
National Hotel switches to water in fundraiser effort
The National Hotel in Clunes has added social-aid to their menu by offering to assist those wrecked by the floods. Through a Facebook post, owners of the hotel Jen and John Hind, put out a call asking residents to donate drinking water slabs for...
The National Hotel in Clunes has added social-aid to their menu by offering to assist those wrecked by the floods.
Through a Facebook post, owners of the hotel Jen and John Hind, put out a call asking residents to donate drinking water slabs for flood-affected Echuca.
The husband-wife duo will take the donations up to the town on Sunday.
“We have about 30 slabs so far that have been donated and still more to come,” Ms Hind said.
“There’s a massive shortage of water in Echuca, and the grocery shelves are bare as well. So I asked myself how can I help out? And I thought water, everybody needs to drink water.
“And we got a notification saying that all water must be boiled before drinking. You’ve got elderly people up there and they don’t need to be sick from drinking that water. And if they don’t have social media and mobile phones, they probably haven’t been notified that they have to boil it. So, [water] is what they could probably do most with at the moment.”
Ms Hind said she didn’t expect to get so many slabs in.
“It’s overwhelming. I’ve still got more businesses that we deal with that I need to contact to see whether they’ll sponsor or donate as well,” she said.
For the Hinds, it is also a matter of family. Their niece in Echuca has had her house inundated by water.
“She is on the wrong side of the levee, which is upsetting,” Ms Hind said.
An emergency levee was built in Echuca to protect houses against the flood, but some, like the Hind’s niece, found themselves stranded on the other side in need of help.
“Those houses on the bad side, they’re stuck and it’s like a bathtub now. So they’re going to be attacked from water. Once the water gets in. There's no getting out,” Mr Hind said.
“It’s extremely unfortunate.
“Some people are saying, it looks like a war zone with all the sandbags, army trucks and helicopters. I feel for them because some of those people won't even be covered in insurance.”
“They’re going to need a lot more support,” Ms Hind said, urging more people to pitch in.
“It’s hard. This is only just the start. I don't know how to do it. But sure, we'll come up with something.
“Echuca is not the only town, there’s Rochester, Shepparton, Mooroopna, other small community towns — they’ve worked tirelessly.”
For more information on donating water slabs to the National Hotel before Sunday, October 30, contact Jen Hind on 5345-3005.