Over 12,000 farmers registered with Rural Aid will receive pre-paid
gift cards, valued at $4.25 million, for Christmas and into January thanks to
the generosity of everyday Australians and Rural Aid’s corporate donors.
Rural Aid National Business Development Manager Wayne
Thomson said over 12,000 farmers are now registered with Rural Aid for
assistance. “Since mid-November, we have been sending out the gift cards and
they will go a long way to help make life a little easier for many of our
farmers and their families over the Christmas period,” Wayne Thomson said.
“Many of the gift cards will be spent in the farmers’ local
communities which will also support local businesses and local economies. It’s
also a wonderful way of saying to our farmers and their communities that you
are not forgotten, that we are here to support you.”
Wayne Thomson said that Glencore’s coal business in
partnership with Rural Aid has provided 5800 farming families in New South
Wales and Queensland affected by drought with a $300 gift card and a gift pack each
for Christmas this year. “Glencore made the $1.7 million donation on behalf of
their 5800 staff employed in Glencore’s coal business to farmers in Glencore’s
coal business regions,” Wayne Thomson said.
“It’s also thanks to the generosity of everyday Aussies that
Rural Aid has sent $500 gift cards to 2000 farmers and a further $300 gift
cards to 3500 farmers. In October, the Allora community held a rockabilly high
tea to raise funds for the local farmers. This small community, situated
between Toowoomba and Warwick in Queensland, also has major water restrictions,
but raised $6000 that went towards pre-paid gift cards valued at $300 or $500
to 43 farmers.
“Added to this, half a million dollars will also be spent
immediately on $500 gift cards to 1000 farmers from donations received at the
recent Hay Mate: A Bush Christmas Appeal. Farmers will start receiving these cards from mid-January 2020.”
Wayne Thomson explained that the number of farmers
registering for assistance with Rural Aid in November was the highest monthly
total on record at over 1100 farmers.
“However, December has already seen that record broken with 1130
farmers registering for support as at 18 December. In December 2018 we had 66
farmers register for assistance.
“These new figures are extremely disturbing,” Wayne Thomson
said. “Normally we would see an average of 400 new farmer registrations each
month, but over the past two months the number has more than doubled.”
“We believe these numbers are not only an indication of the
worsening drought but the impact that the recent bushfires have had on many
properties.
“Farmers have had to reduce their stock
numbers and then hand feed the stock they have left – which for many is their
breeding stock. Some farmers have de-stocked completely so have no income
coming in. It is not surprising they are contacting us for fodder and financial
assistance.”
Santa’s helpers at
Rural Aid
In the last quarter of the year, Rural Aid invited schools
and community groups to send Christmas cards and messages to farmers and their
families. The response and glitter were incredible:
- Over 700 schools and community groups sent in
over 38,000 cards and letters.
- Over 198 volunteers, including corporate
volunteers, were involved in mailing out Christmas cards and letters to almost
11,000 farmers and their families.
- Farmers received more than one card and letter.
The amount of laughter, the occasional tear and glitter were immeasurable as
the cards and letters were opened and read.
Messages of thanks
from farming families
Merino
Farmer, Mitchell QLD:
This morning we have
received a gift card in the mail. We would like to thank you so very much for
your generosity, it really does mean a lot to both myself and my husband
in this dreadful drought. We are
officially in our 7th year now. This gift card was totally unexpected and
will be such a help to us. We wish your entire organisation a very
happy Christmas and every happiness for 2020 with a good drenching of rain for
everyone.
Cattle
Farmer, Marlee NSW:
I just want to say thank you
so much for the generous donation of a gift card we received today from your
organisation and Glencore (to whom I have also sent thanks). It will help us
greatly during this trying time. Thank you.
Farmer,
Sapphire NSW
I would like to thank the
special children who sent us a handmade Christmas card today. It was heart felt
and my husband and myself had tears in our eyes as we read their sincere
thoughts. So even though times are tough, we would like to say thank you so
much. Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for caring about farmers you don’t
know, but support you everyday!
Farmer,
Glenn Davis NSW
I would just like to thank the
kind children who wrote to us and we appreciate their kind words in these tough
times. Fires drought and no rain takes its toll on many in our state. As a
firefighter on the Gosper Mountain six weeks now, we wonder when it will end –
feeding cattle and poor air quality day after day, this also keeps us from our
jobs. So, thank you to those children who sent their best wishes. Our love to
them all.
About Rural Aid
Rural
Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly
successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial
assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or
fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities
are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these
natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au
for further information on these programs and other support for our rural
communities.
Media
enquiries: Raylee Huggett – 0447 116 757
Media interviews: Wayne Thomson – 0476 647 281
