ARMIDALE mayor Laurie Bishop has called on the community to support victims of the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines which has killed thousands of people and left huge numbers of the population homeless and running short of food.
Cr Bishop said it had been a double whammy for the island people, many of whom had been left homeless following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake last month.
“Council has been contacted by several local families of Filipino origin who have family and friends in the disaster area who all desperately need help,” he said.
“This disaster is on the same scale as the Indonesian tsunami and our community was extremely generous in contributing funds to help that relief effort.”
Council is donating the use of Armidale’s Town Hall for a community fund-raising Benefit Concert on Friday 6 December at 5.30pm.
The local Filipino community have organised a number of artists to donate their time including Filipino and local bands, the Armidale City Band, bush poets and Filipino dancers.
“We are hoping for the usual warm-hearted and generous community response to this benefit concert,” Cr Bishop said.
In a separate appeal, council staff are being asked to make donations to help the extended family of fellow worker Peter Goard whose wife Minda comes from the Philippines.
“Rather than double-up with administration we are suggesting that people make their donations either to the Red Cross or CARE Australia typhoon appeals,” Cr Bishop said.
