Website That Connects Flood Victims’ Needs With Help Offers

Even people living in or near flood affected areas are not quite sure how to support their local community. Andy Henderson, the Technology Director of www.spaceout.com.au – the ‘one stop place for space’ around Oz – is offering individuals a way of working out the best way to help out.

By putting people wanting to help, directly in touch with those needing help, the available resources can be used most efficiently.

A New Service Called HelpOut

Helpout has been established specifically to connect those people who need help with those who are able to provide help – to help communities help themselves. This service allows individuals living in or near flood affected communities, to list the types of help they can offer,

AND, perhaps more importantly,

HelpOut also allows those people directly affected by flood, many of whom are in desperate need of assistance, to specify exactly the type of assistance that they need.

HelpOut allows people to search by location (town, suburb or postcode), and presents offers and calls for help on a map – so it is very easy to see what help is available (or need) in specific areas.

IF YOU NEED HELP
If you have been affected by the floods and are in need of something specific, you can create a Help Wanted listing, free on HelpOut (or if you don’t have internet access, get a friend to do it on your behalf).

Enter your street name and town/suburb, a description of what you need, and (if you want) a contact number.

Your listing will be presented to anyone searching your area to see how they can help, they can then contact you (via an internal message system) to offer their services and exchange contact details.

IF YOU WANT TO HELP
First of all, search your local area in HelpOut for Help Wanted listings to see if there is anyone seeking assistance already.

If there is already a listing for someone you can help, you can contact them and discuss how you can offer assistance directly.

If not, you can create a Help Offered Listing, free, outlining what you have to offer and what area you are able to provide it.

Good idea, Andy