As one of the worst droughts takes hold of the state, a Victorian woman is on a mission to boost morale bringing some “cheer to the bush”.
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Leanne Whitely from Moama in Victoria began collecting pamper packs and food hampers for farming communities in NSW in a campaign she has dubbed ‘Hampers for our Outback Women Warriors’.
She grew up in Tottenham and is familiar with the pressures of drought. Along with a team of helpers, Ms Whitely passed through the Bogan Shire to distribute more than 300 hampers filled with food, toiletries, sanitary items, candles, perfumes, wine and many other items to put a smile on the faces of farmers affected by the dry conditions.
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The group are personally hand delivering the hampers to the communities of Hermidale, Nymagee, Tottenham, Tullamore, Condobolin, Bourke and Louth.
“We thought we would bring some cheer to the bush and put a smile on their faces,” Ms Whitely said.
“It’s not a sob story, its more a ‘we know you’re there’ and to let people out here know we’re thinking about them during these tough times,” she said.
It was a photo of sheep being fed in a dust storm shared on Facebook, which fuelled Ms Whitely’s desire to help communities in the far west.
“It was so harrowed and so desperate in the way it looked, it looked so hard,” she said.
As a result she began the Facebook page Hampers for Outback Women Warriors, which now has almost 700 followers and a truckload full of hampers to be hand delivered to farming communities.
“The response has been amazing … its been huge and I didn’t mean for it to be like that. It was only going to be a few hampers I was going to drive out somewhere and cheer people up,” Ms Whitely said.
“Within a 150 kilometre radius from [Moama] people have offered to help,” she said.
Among the hampers is a birthday gift from a small boy to another 5-year-old personalised with a hand written letter.
Ms Whitely said it has been a real community effort to distribute the hampers throughout communities, which are being handed out by local CWA groups and the local store at Girilambone.
“Everyone’s been so nice,” Ms Whiely said.
“The response of communities has been so wonderful.”
“I couldn’t have done this without everybody’s help either. The support I’ve had is overwhelming,” she said.
Zaarkacha Marlan
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
Court and crime reporter at the Daily Liberal. Formerly the sole journalist for the Nyngan Observer, Narromine News and Trangie Advocate.
