The branch is challenging all Parkes businesses to donate $1 per week to the CWA drought relief fundraiser.

Parkes CWA President Alice Milne said all businesses have the option to participate in the challenge.

“Businesses are able to donate as much per week as they wish, with the minimum being one dollar per week,” she said.

“We will run the challenge as a pledge, with volunteers attending participating businesses to collect the donations.”

The challenge came about after CWA member Yvette Quinn had the idea suggested to her by a community member.

“I thought it was a wonderful idea, so I suggested it as part of the CWA’s fundraising efforts,” she said.

“The drought will be impacting farmers for a while yet as we have missed the seasonal rain, so  having continual fundraising will encourage people in town to remember the ongoing impacts a drought has for the whole community.”

Alice said all the money the Parkes CWA raises through fundraising will go directly to farmers.

“It was great to see the support for both farmers and the CWA with the great turn out at the Souper Christmas in July event and we hope to build on this success as a branch,” she said.

Donations can be made anytime to Alice Milne at the Pink Orchid Café and Florist.

The Parkes Branch of the CWA are also running a raffle as part of their fundraising efforts.

Winners will be drawn at the Parkes Show.

Meanwhile, the 2018 Drought Relief Fund announced last week that a total of $1 million in grants will be provided to the CWA and the Need for Feed initiative to assist farmers in drought.

CWA of NSW Chief Executive Danica Leys said the additional funding would be delivered as quickly as possible to families in need.

“We’re currently offering financial support of up to $3,000 to drought-affected farmers in NSW. This money can be used for household bills, which don’t stop when the rain does,” Ms Leys said.

“We have a number of people using the funding for the provision of domestic water as tanks run dry.”