Drought food, support still top-of-mind for Doing It For Our Farmers after move

Founder Sue-Ellen Wilkin said the group hoped for "a bit of notoriety" through the move, but would "still be using the same pattern we've got": providing groceries and support to people hurting in the drought.

The food pantry and meeting place will move to Wallamore Road after about a year in a shed provided free by North West Direct Sales in Kingsford Smith Street.

Mrs Wilkin said one change would be the installation of a fridge to augment the food offerings. Its hours could also be revised.

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"But we're still here for farmers, farm support workers, rural workers - anyone, really, that's in trouble due to the drought," she said.

"Come and see us - don't be shy, don't be proud; come and have a chat and we'll see where we can go from there."

The group will have to cover the rent on the premises and will be doing more fundraising to do so.

Tamworth City Uniting Church, where the group formed, will help with that, too.

Volunteer Sandy Darling-Herbert said the North West Direct Sales team had been "absolutely amazing and so selfless" in providing the current site free of charge.

"We cannot thank [them] enough for what they've done," she said.

"Without that offer ... Doing It For Our Farmers would have probably been gone 12 months ago."

Church office manager Nicolette Willis said it had "actually surprised us just how much support we're getting and also how we're able to reach out to so many people who seem to fall between the cracks".

In fact, the volunteers had barely picked up the keys to their new digs when donors from Lorn arrived with gifts of non-perishable foods, toiletries and vouchers for local shops.