Three months after the devastating north Queensland floods, a second wave of people are coming forward for assistance.
Emergency relief provider, Northern Townsville Community Hub (NOTCH), said that over the past couple of weeks it has seen a new group of people seeking help.
Manager Sandra Elton said the 'Aussie battler' attitude is one of the reasons some have not asked for help until now.
"It is just the Aussie way," Ms Elton said.
"'I am not the worst off, there are people who are worse off than me' — we saw a lot of that.
"Fairly standard blue-collar Aussie families just trying to battle on and they have run out of money."
Donations fill insurance gaps
As people start to move back into repaired homes or find permanent accommodation, the need for whole housefuls of furnishings has increased.
Ms Elton said community donations and not-for-profit organisation GIVIT have been invaluable in helping residents without insurance — or whose insurance did not pay out — get re-established after the flooding.
"That has been one of the main methods that we can help [with]," Ms Elton said.
"Especially that middle-income bracket who are vulnerable because they don't know how to access social welfare."
To date, $3.7 million has been donated to GIVIT's Queensland Floods Appeal.
More than 183,000 items have been distributed to people in the Townsville region.
Thousands displaced by floods
NOTCH services a quarter of the Townsville region, including Bluewater, which was flooded three times in two weeks.
The centre reports demand went up by 400 per cent in the first week after the floods, and requests have been double the normal rate the centre is used to seeing since then.
Ms Elton said they have noticed an increase in homelessness and displaced people using NOTCH's shower and coming in for food or clothing assistance.
"The council stats are telling us that about 7000 people have been displaced," she said.
"I would suggest the number is much higher than that.
"We have had donations of toiletries that we have been giving out to lots of people living in their cars, we have got families couch surfing.
"Particularly in Bushland Beach and those areas that weren't directly flood-affected, they were swamped by evacuees and some of them are still there."
A bed at last
Terry Brown evacuated from his home at the Bluewater Caravan Park during the flooding and came to NOTCH for recovery assistance.
He moved into an apartment in early April, but had been sleeping on the floor until he received a bed and household goods organised by the centre.
Keen to give back, Mr Brown and his housemate have started volunteering at the centre with cleaning and repairs.
"Because the community centre was helping us out, we thought we would give back and help volunteer," Mr Brown said.
Volunteers are critical to the operation of the centre, which services a catchment of 45,000 people with only 1.5 paid staff positions and about 20 volunteers.
Mr Brown said he is incredibly grateful for the generosity that has helped him put together his new home.
"Things are good now," he said.
"We don't take it for granted."
