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Bushfire charities prefer cash over goods

The Salvation Army says donating cash will allow bushfire victims to recover with dignity.

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Source: AAP


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Charities are asking people who want to help NSW bushfire victims to donate cash instead of food or clothing.

Salvation Army spokesman Peter Sutcliffe says his organisation often gets inundated with food, clothing and electrical items during bushfire season.

"That really becomes a real problem with sorting them, storing them and distributing them," he told AAP on Monday.

"At the end, sometimes we have to dispose them - and we don't want to do that."

He said donating cash was more helpful as it gave bushfire victims choice over what to purchase.

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"It allows people affected to recover with dignity as they are able to purchase items they need most," Major Sutcliffe said.

Annie Harvey, from the Australian Red Cross, agreed money was more useful in times of crises.

"It's too hard to manage warehousing of massive material goods," she said.

"But also, people need what they need.

"They may need clothes, they may need food or they may need to replace a mobile phone so that can contact loved ones."


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