As the drought continues to affect the farming community throughout the Central West, and beyond, Rural Aid came to the assistance of farmers in Forbes recently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Volunteers travelled to 13 farms throughout the district, ready to do whatever was necessary, be it fencing, building, doing repairs or just lending a hand to anyone who needed it.
Co-founder of Rural Aid, Tracy Alder, who was in Forbes directing operations, expressed her appreciation when she was presented with a cheque for $500 from the Parkes Girl Guides Support Group, who made the trip to Forbes to hear first hand of the work the organisation does.
President of the Support Group, Marilyn Pizarro, revealed that due to a successful catering venture at the recent Parkes Show, the Support Group felt that they wanted to donate some of their profit to help feed livestock.
“Girl Guides have always been at the forefront when it comes to being involved with community projects, and the welfare of both the animals and farmers were uppermost in our thoughts,” Marilyn said.
“Having cattle of my own I am aware of the dire situation that the farmers find themselves in, and anything that the Girl Guides can do to help alleviate the worry facing the farming community, we are pleased to help.”
Tracy said she is very rarely home in Queensland as she travels vast distances in her role with Rural Aid.
“This is not a one-off situation unfortunately, and we are aware that conditions can only worsen should rain not be heading our way, but we have been taken aback with the amount of people willing to help, and that’s great,” she said.
“We are also extremely grateful to our many sponsors who have supplied us with goods to assist us, or who have provided air time on the local radio stations or helped with fuel costs, it’s amazing what country people do for each other.
“It’s not just the livestock this donation will help, but also providing food for the working dogs and other farm animals who are also suffering from lack of feed.
“The fact that people from all walks of life are willing to give their time freely to help others is really amazing,” she said.
The Showground also received a boost, with major electrical work being undertaken to make the pavilion both safe and practical to use. Not only was structural work completed, but Rural Aid supplied two upright fridge freezers, and a five- burner stove/oven to the show committee for use in the pavilion at show time, to assist with fundraising.
The Support Group hope that other organisations will come on board and become a donor, or a sponsor to help Rural Aid and the farming community in this time of drought.
Tracy can be contacted on 1300 327 624 (Rural Aid/Buy a Bale) if you would like to assist in any way.
Also making news:
