Compassion has led to a local youth donating his recently purchased first car to a victim of the Lismore floods.

After fundraising down here, Kiama Downs’ Harry Ledger, 17, and his family headed to Lismore and spent a weekend at the end of March cleaning up and donating funds and basic items to those affected.

“We’d seen a lot of the destruction and devastation on the news but we really didn’t know what to expect and I don’t think anyone can anticipate how bad it really is,” says Harry.

“There were mounds of furniture and rubbish on the street outside every house and business.

“It was very daunting and unnerving but helping out and cleaning up someone’s house in Lismore was a really memorable, enriching experience.”

Harry and his family took up $3000 in donations and made packages with food, water, cleaning items and medication to give to a few of the Lismore residents.

“The packages had $100 in each one, some basic items and a note about how the residents were not alone and how the country was with them through this,” says Harry.

Downtown Lismore (photo: Lismore App)

While he was there, Harry felt there was more he could do, and donated his car to a man in Kingscliff.

“We were directed towards Dylan Simpson who was having to cycle to work each day, couch surf and couldn’t see his son which was pretty upsetting, so I ended up giving the car to him,” he says.

“It was my first car which I bought from a neighbour of mine, Gary McKay.

“I had only had it for four months but when I heard about everything going on I made the decision. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

The experience was eye-opening for Harry, who says it put things into perspective and the real heroes are those in the Lismore community who have been helping each other for weeks since the floods. 

“While it was a very kind of confronting and saddening experience, it was also really inspiring to see how the entire Lismore community bound together,” he says.

“What’s happening up there is so community-driven. I guess that says something about the government and an element of their absence there, but it also speaks of the character and how closely knit and active that community is.

“I’m really glad to be a part of the experience in helping out, but the real heroes in all of this are the Lismore community and all the community organisers.”