Rural Aid’s Farm Army is helping to spread the love at Trundle
Four Trundle farmers and the wider community have been provided a much needed boost thanks to the week long effort from 70 volunteers.
Since June 16, the Farm Army, a project of Rural Aid, have been out in force within the town helping not only the farmers but local schools with various projects.
The volunteers will be in town until June 22 and will provide school children with musical instruments through its Gift of Music program, plus boxes of Lego, stationery and an iPad.
Foresythes Recruitment have sponsored 35 employees to be on the ground helping lend a hand.
Rural Aid also provided country cards to help farmers purchase food for their families and much-needed goods.
A Rural Aid counsellor has been offering mental health support to the rural community.
The Farm Army were only last year in Forbes helping their local rural community.
The Western Magazine spoke to Farm Army manager Julia Hahn ahead of their visit who said upon speaking with drought affected farmers you realise it is the entire the community that suffers.
“The farmers have children, the farmers have wives, they have to do their shopping in town. There’s a domino affect from the harsh reality that the drought brings,” she said.
“We want to support the whole town, that’s our aim, to spread the love as much as we can.”
Ms Hahn said it was important to get out to western NSW to areas where they are needed most. Many of the volunteer helpers include grey-nomads, tradespeople and people willing to lend a hand.
“And they go home as a big family, making new friends not only with the Farm Army but with the farmers that they’ve worked with…. that’s really special to see those bonds forming…,” Ms Hahn said.
Where possible the Farm Army also purchase the products needed for that week at local businesses, Ms Hahn said.
“At the beginning of this year we decided we were going to go into a rural town with a holistic approach and we were going to touch as many people as we could within the community in that week,” she added.
“We’re helping as many people as we can and it’s important for all of the community to see that the rest of Australia does care and we do want to help. This is the Farm Army’s way of showing that the city really does care.”
“We’re just going to be in town… to give them a hug and life their spirits.”
There are many more Farm Army projects in the works this year and if anyone was interested in volunteering their time they only have to visit farmarmy.com.au and register.
This story Farm Army is helping to spread the love at Trundle first appeared on Western Magazine.
The article’s credit is for the source: Western Magazine