By Callum Ludwig
Residents across the Yarra Ranges are chipping in to help out the people of Northern New South Wales and Queensland who have been devastated by floods.
Farmers across Dixons Creek and Yarra Glen, Seville Veterinary Clinic, and Wandin North Primary School have sent their donations through Need For Feed, a charity organisation started in the summer of 2006/07 during the Millenium Drought.
A Dixons Creek farmer who wished to remain anonymous said farmers across the Yarra Ranges understand the devastation of natural disasters after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
“We are still ever so grateful for the help we received following the Black Saturday fires, in which many like me lost our whole properties,” she said.
“We never forget those who gave just so totally unselfishly at the time and for years after. you can’t measure the gratitude for the support.”
Need For Feed is an initiative started by the Pakenham Lions Club member Graham Cockerell, who was distraught at seeing the high numbers of farmers taking their own lives throughout drought and fire season, having lost his own father in a similar situation.
The Dixons Creek farmer said the support for flood victims through Need For Feed has been out of control.
“There are so many inquiries offering help that they just cannot respond to all of them,” she said.
“They are snowed under so it may take a little while, but all donations will get there.”
The farmers are donating large hay bales which will be trucked up to affected areas, as well as other essential items.
Whilst they cannot source hay like the farmers are, the Wandin North Primary School community has made their own generous effort to assist.
Having seen the Need For Feed initiative on Facebook, Before and After School Care coordinator at Wandin North Primary School Amy Kennedy knew she wanted a donation to be their new monthly charity goal.
“We were doing one for the RSPCA and then I told the school to put that on pause because the flood relief needs it now. Then I came up with a big list of things we could donate; food, bottled water, hygiene products, pet food, new clothes, and kid’s books and colouring books,” Ms Kennedy said.
“The Seville vet was doing it as well, so on a Friday I took the donations to them and they were loaded in a truck to take it there.”
Wandin North Primary School has a charity project each month, having previously held initiatives for the RSPCA, Coldstream Animal Aid, Cancer Council Australia, and sponsoring a child in Indonesia and koalas affected by bushfires. They also create and donate activity bags to sick children at the children’s ward of Box Hill Hospital, decorated by students.
There is clearly a generous and giving spirit throughout the Yarra Ranges.
