Hay brings hope to farmers
Donations arrive from Tasmania
THE Rapid Relief Team has hit the road to deliver hay and a helping hand to droughtstricken farmers and their families in need.
Some 246 bales of hay were delivered yesterday to 14 farming families on the Darling Downs.
The donated hay originated more than 2000km away in Tasmania.
These latest deliveries are part of the RRT’s ongoing Operation Drought Relief campaign, which totals more than $3 million.
Every single dollar raised as part of the campaign goes directly to farmers in need.
The RRT is an initiative of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, which is staffed by church volunteers who lend a helping hand to those in need.
John Reoch from the Rapid Relief Team said that his organisation was always looking to lend a helping hand to communities in need.
“Across the country, drought is making it tough for our Aussie farming families and we need to make sure they know they aren’t in this alone,” Mr Reoch said.
“When the local farmers in the Darling Downs region reached out to the RRT for assistance, we jumped at the oppor- tunity to get involved and deliver some relief.
“Today we provide 246 bales of hay and hope to 14 farming families in the Darling Downs, and we hope this helps tide them over until the rains come.”
Local farmer, Isabel Mengel, said her family and the local farming families were very grateful for the helping hand.
“My family and I have been battling this drought for four years now,”Ms Mengel said.
“It is a very desperate situation here in the Downs,”
“We’ve had just one good crop in four years, and that only lasted two months. It’s awful.
“The RRT have lifted our spirits through their generous hay delivery and made us feel like we are not alone, because at one stage we did feel that.
“Many of us farmers in the region are dairy farmers and we are so grateful for this hay delivery.
“It will help us continue to push through and survive the drought.”
Photo: Contributed