A family-run organisation, The Little Juddies called for volunteers to help put together more than 300 hampers for prime producing farming families severely affected by drought in rural NSW towns such as Bobadah, Nymagee and Bingara.

These hampers consisted of daily items we often take for granted but are desperately needed such as deodorant, pet food, cereal, and baby wipes (there is no water to shower).

Each hamper also provided 30 litres of water as some of these families have run out of fresh drinking water and are relying on canisters and bottles. Each hamper cost $530 to assemble.

We volunteered our school to help put together a hamper with our principal David Palmer happy to support such an initiative.

We were blown away by the generosity of members of our school community, and the wider community. In a little under two weeks our school community, and friends, managed to make not just one but six hampers, as well as provide extra goods, Christmas toys and money towards further gifts.

St Brigid’s children also wrote Christmas cards to be placed with the hampers to provide some comfort and hope from our family to theirs.

The hampers were delivered to The Little Juddies headquarters in Warners Bay on Wednesday 27 November and we needed five cars to transport them and various other items.

A special thank you to Natasha Drake, Bill Learmouth (and his dog Ruby), and Barry Worthington who helped us transport the hampers.

We were also grateful for the help of fellow staff members Donna Stanton, Elizabeth Kidd and Susan Hayne, who gave up a Saturday to help organise and pack the hampers, and our fabulous Year 6 students who helped carry all of the hampers and items out to the cars and saved our muscles.

The Little Juddies was very grateful for the support of St Brigid’s and our friends and amazed at how many hampers we were able to get together.

St Brigid’s looks forward to 2020 when we can once again touch the lives of others for good and put our faith into action in various ways.

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