Australia has been for some time and is still in the grip of a severe drought that has made life difficult for farmers and those on the land. But fellow Aussies on the South Coast have been doing there bit to help out those suffering the effects of drought.
In early December, when my husband and I stopped off at Kiama on the way to Sydney, a benefit concert was setting up for later that day to raise money for those struggling at present. This week our local paper ran the story of a woman from the Bega area who late last year walked into the office of the Bega District News with $700. This woman had read about the ‘Give the Bush a Break’ Appeal and decided to give her savings to this worthy cause so that a drought–affected family could benefit and have a holiday on the South Coast. She did not want thanks or recognition but chose to remain anonymous.
This campaign and the money donated by people from the South Coast area led to 31 packages which included food, accommodation on the South Coast, petrol (or as those of you in the US call it, ‘gas’) and even entertainment vouchers being delivered to families out in the Central West and Western NSW who were struggling because of the drought. Families eligible for these packages were chosen by Rural Financial Counseling Service Central West.
For some people in the bush and western drought-affected areas of NSW, this was the first holiday they had been able to have for years. The campaign called ‘Give the Bush a Break’ originally came from Kim Treasure. Kim was born and lived for years on a property in Cowra. It was her idea, but it would not have been possible without the generosity of individuals like the anonymous woman with her $700 donation and of South Coast businesses that donated everything from meat, bread and other items of food, to haircuts, surfing lessons and even newspapers.
The idea started with one person and then, with a ripple effect, spread to involve others from the South Coast and ended up touching the lives of and blessing many families.
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