Helping Group

Not-for-profit · Australia · Since 2020

Practical support in difficult moments.

Helping Group is the Australian charity behind Helping Homes, a seasonal service that connects people affected by bushfires, floods and other emergencies with a spare room, paddock space or transport offered by their community.

Explore Helping Homes How we began

Helping Homes · On standby

Not activated right now. The app is temporarily offline between emergencies.

Last reviewed

000In immediate danger? Call 000 first.

Verified charity

ACNC Registered Charity tick: view our Charity Register entry (opens in a new tab)
Registered with the ACNC on 6 August 2020
2020
What we’ll ever ask you for. We don’t fundraise, and Helping Homes is free.
$0
ACNC register (opens in a new tab)ABN Lookup (opens in a new tab)

What Helping Homes connects

Community offers, in one place.

In an emergency, help is often already out there. It’s just scattered. Helping Homes makes it easier to find, without replacing official warnings or emergency services.

See how Helping Homes works

  1. Accommodation

    A spare room, home or safe place to stay.

  2. Paddock space

    Temporary space for livestock, horses and other animals.

  3. Transport

    Help moving people, animals or essential belongings.

Governance

Who’s accountable.

Helping Group’s responsible people, as listed on the ACNC Charity Register
NameRole
Daniel FergusonPresident · Founder
Daniel GatesVice-president
Kasenya TurnerSecretary
Alison KempTreasurer
Grace BarelierDirector
Check our responsible people on the ACNC register (opens in a new tab)

On the record since the Black Summer fires.

Coverage and early support from Helping Homes’ first season, shown as a historical record, not current partnerships.

In the news · Summer 2019–20

  • The Courier: Emergency accommodation for families affected by fire (opens in a new tab)
  • 9Now: Ways Australians could offer accommodation during the fires (opens in a new tab)
  • Australian Financial Review: Holiday homes and emergency accommodation for evacuees (opens in a new tab)
  • Stock & Land: Practical assistance for people affected by fire (opens in a new tab)
  • Student Edge: Where to find emergency accommodation during bushfires (opens in a new tab)

Early supporters

  • Amazon Web Services
  • Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Explore the full archive

How it began · Summer 2019–20

“Could people with a spare room or property make it easier for someone evacuating to find a safe place to stay?”

Daniel Ferguson started Helping Homes during the Black Summer bushfires. Helping Group formed around that response, and the same practical question still guides everything we do.

Read our story

Earlier ideas · archived

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