URGENT HELP NEEDED

Between drought and bush fires NSW is in crisis, it’s heartbreaking, unimaginable for those not affected, what these people in these areas are going through.

Having joined a Facebook Group, Coasties Drought Aid I have had my eyes opened.

This group is dedicated to helping the struggling farmers of NSW by people of the Central Coast, collecting non perishable food and toiletries, which are sent every few weeks. The response has been phenomenal especially over Christmas where well over 1,000 farmers and their families were adopted and received personalised hampers and gifts, hoping to give then as normal a Christmas as they could possibly have.

Being a card maker I believe that physically getting a card no matter the occasion is important in two ways, firstly so much nicer than a bill or the junk mail we received everyday and secondly and more importantly the fact that some one cares enough to make memories. I am 63 years of age and I still have cards I was sent when I was a kid. Personal messages from people I love and people who love me who are no longer with me, I can look at their handwriting, I can read how they expressed themselves. There is nothing personal in emails or gifs.

When I sent our hamper to our adopted farmers, I included a packet of various cards for them to use. As lovely as giving cards is, keeping a roof over your head, food on the table and caring for livestock, has to take priority when money is scarce, this brings me to why I need your help.

I would like to make cards available at the various Country Drought Pantries, so that people in need are able to still celebrate the occasions no matter what that may be.

This is where you come in, I am asking for cards to be donated so that we can get them out to the Drought Pantries, the cards would be free to those in need.

I can’t imagine a child not getting a Birthday Card but think what it would mean to be able to give your partner an Anniversary card or a Valentines and its never too early to start Christmas.

I will be co-ordinating this project with Coasties Drought Aid and I beg you to help us.

If you would like to, please either send me a message via Messenger or email me at sueallensimplycraft@bigpond.com

I really look forward to hearing from you.

Just to give you a bit of an idea what this amazing group headed by Melissa Turner achieved over Christmas

These are some of the towns included and the number of families helped.

Mendooran-100
Gulargambone 23
Quambone 47
Collie 30
Balladooran 42
Warren 34
Coonamble 61
Tooraweenah 76
Gilgandra 41
Neilrex 32
Lake Keepit 6
Leadville 45
Tenterfield 103
Narromine 100
Trangie 28
Nyngan 51
Louth 22
Gloucester 174
Taree 110
Binnaway 81
Marthaguy 17
Curban 23

Drought pantries- Baradine, Mendooran, Leadville, Neilrex, Tooraweenah , Narromine had trailer loads full delivered.

Hundreds of litres of water provided .

100’s of people drove out there. I think there was 40 in our man convoy alone! Most stayed overnight. All bought food and drinks, petrol, local produce, arts n crafts, went to tourist destinations.

Many Coasties ordered hams from local butchers, paid feed bills, bought vouchers to be spent in local towns - totalling thousands of dollars .

Dollar value on the hampers was suggested by the Mayor of Tooraweenah to be $250,000!!!

Please go to the Facebook Group Page Coasties Drought Aid and read some of the stories. 

Thank you for reading

Take care

Sue x