A call-out from a Nowra business to support women doing it tough in rural Australia, has resulted in more than 250 care packages making their way to drought-affected farming women.
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Family-run Bennett's Concrete at South Nowra, was only too happy to become a drop-off point for the Ladies of the Land initiative, which is giving hope to women living through this record breaking drought.
Administrative coordinator Kim Willett said the response was amazing.
"Our office manager Rachael contributed the first box, and it just grew from there," she said.
"Two weeks in we only had about a dozen boxes, so the ladies in our office put together six boxes to make the collection look a bit better. By the end of the four weeks we ended up sending more than 250 boxes.
"I am always amazed at the generosity of our community. I heard from Ladies of the Land that Nowra is now considered a drought-affected region, and what is particularly beautiful is that many of our boxes were dropped in by local ladies off the land.
"More than 50 boxes were donated by the local CWA ladies, but mostly individuals dropped off one or two boxes put together by their own groups of friends."
Not everyone that wants to help has the resources to do big things, but little things are easy for most people.
- Kim Willett
The packages included self pampering items the women could use to relax over the holiday period.
"They were filled with lots of lovely things; beautiful skin care products, scented candles, yummy treats, pretty notebooks, essentials like shampoo and new tooth brushes, scarves, socks, writing paper, pens, lip glosses, hair ties, nice coffee sachets and flavoured teas," Kim said.
"All those things that make you feel good, but we often take for granted."
Donations were made as an entire box, or as one or two items which could be put together to make up a gift pack.
"Not everyone that wants to help has the resources to do big things, but little things are easy for most people," Kim said.
Kim said she wasn't entirely surprised by the overwhelming support for the initiative.
"I have been involved in fundraising activities in the past and I love that our sense of compassion and generosity is alive and well in our community," she said.
Kim said she hoped the pamper packs would give the women a much needed lift at Christmas.
"There has been some criticism of this only being for women, but I think we all know that as women, particularly mums, these women will give to their children first and their partners second, which rarely leaves anything for themselves," she said.
"I think, considering the position families on the land are currently in, these boxes will likely be the only gift these ladies receive."
