Lions big effort for fire relief

A DONATION of $10,000 by the Lions Disaster Relief Trust has been matched by the Healesville Lions.
Club president Alex Brown said the money would be used to distributed food, hardware and fuel vouchers under the Lions Victims Support Project.
“We are just starting to distribute from our Healesville opportunity shop and our aim is to fill the cracks.
“We feel there are still going to be a lot of people in need out there who are not being catered to,” Mr Brown said.
The Lions district covers Healesville, Yarra Glen and Upper Yarra areas.
Mr Brown said the Lions Den opportunity shop was also open to anybody in need.
“We know they are being provided with a lot of things but there is a good possibility we may have items that are not available, and we would be more than happy to help out in that case.”
A delivery of fridges and washing machines was also recently delivered to Healesville from the Lions’ Central Relief Centre.
People seeking assistance need to produce a blue verification form.
The vouchers are redeemable at local businesses including Hoogie’s Hardware, the Ampol Service Station and IGA in Yarra Glen; and Healesville Timber Supplies, Woodgrain, Coles and Bub’s Service Station in Healesville.
“We’re doing our very best to source the vouchers locally in a conscious effort to support the businesses which so often are called on to support groups and activities in their towns,” Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown said the club was taking cash donations at the opportunity shop to enable it to continue its assistance in the months ahead – and that proceeds from a raffle they were putting together would also go into the fund.
The raffle, a trailer-full of general household and other goods, will be drawn at a benefit concert at the Healesville Racecourse on 19 April. Donations of goods are welcome.
For further information call into the opportunity shop at 183 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, or phone 5962 1251.