Nearly $15 million was raised in the two main bushfire appeals with donations from the public, from businesses, clubs and other organisations. More than $11 million of the funds has been distributed to affected residents.
There were two main funds: the Mayoral relief fund, which included contributions from the Australian Red Cross, Anglicare and the St Vincent de Paul Society, and which raised $3,384,380.
This fund has so far distributed grants of a little over $3.1 million. The balance of $261,630 has been allocated to contingency funding to provide money to eligible residents who have not yet applied.
Although efforts have been made to contact every affected resident, it is believed there are a few who were significantly impacted who have not been reached. Applications for grants for those residents remain open and will do so until midnight Sunday, November 2, 2014.
The other big fund was connected with the Salvation Army and raised $11.5 million.
In the early stages, the Salvos offered mostly material help, with everything from clothes to sheets to toys, baby goods, food, sporting goods, computers and mobile phones handed out to 555 households. It also distributed gift cards, either from specific stores or just with cash on them, to the value of $2.5 million.
In phase two of the grants program, they have given $4.84 million for rebuilding (individual grants of $20,000 to 110 residents/families), for setting up in another area (61 grants of $20,000 each) or to set up a rental property (16 grants at $20,000 each).
The Salvos have also approved grants for kids camps, for people to retrain if they have decided to return to the workforce because of the fires, for respite and for counselling.
Tracey Greenaway, the Salvos' NSW bushfire response team leader and a Winmalee local, said the grants started being handed out in March and most people had received them.
"We still have 21 households that haven't accessed it at this stage. They are still deciding what to do," she said, adding that they could take as much time as they needed to do so.
The organisation will then turn its efforts to Christmas, trying to make summer a more positive experience.
"We'll help with things like Christmas trees or barbecues. People might be going into summer saying, we used to have a slip and slide or, we went on picnics but we don't have an Esky any more," said Ms Greenaway.
The Salvos Springwood office will remain open until March and then move to the Salvation Army Hall in Francis Road, Faulconbridge. It will still be offering any help it can to residents.