Lutheran Drought Aid Qld shares crates of hope!
It is said Australia is a “land of drought and flooding rain.” In recent years and months this has been so real and dramatic.
So has all the water flowing out west ended the drought??
We could be excused for thinking so: As rivers cut off towns and regional water storage filled up and spilled over, it appeared so. Let’s rejoice with those who can clean the dust from their eyes, but let’s be aware of the challenges that continue, e.g. …
- On the coastal fringe and particularly the greater Brisbane area we were just days away from water restrictions as the catchment areas for the Somerset and Wivenhoe dams failed to receive the same amount of rain as many local and further west downpours provided.
- Some local areas out west got 15 – 20 mm of rain while neighbours got 75 mm or more.
- After reasonable autumn rains, several properties were able to plant crops and so were looking forward to harvesting in late spring to early summer. Some were able to take off up to 50% of their crop with a low yield before the rain came and put a stop to that and the ground became a muddy bog. Remember the cost of having to buy seed to plant.
- Many crops were severely affected by an “invasion of ‘army worms’ that can destroy whole paddocks in days, while others were overrun with thousands of mice which contaminated seed grain and storage bins. Again, the cost of spraying and extermination is massive.
- As the drought continued for so long, those properties with livestock (cattle in particular) were unable to buy feed and water to keep their herds and so had to sell. The rains have come, grass is growing and stock is now needed to graze that growth. With the gestation period and growth time, it will take 2 to 3 years to rebuild herds.
As the rain falls and the mud settles, we can rejoice and be thankful, but also remember a wise farmer saying: “when it rains it doesn’t rain money.” There is still a lot of blood, sweat and tears to come.
Lutheran Drought Aid Qld will continue to supply “Crates of Hope” to assist in the short-term emergencies and demonstrate to people on the land that they are still being thought of and remembered.
We invite you to help us to gather goods over the next 3 months, so that crates can be assembled and be ready for emergency delivery. Below is a very specific proven list of items which have been warmly received by many recipients in recent times.
You can collect items individually or a family/group may wish to get a container and fill it with the listed goods. Please get in touch with us via Milton Eckermann (phone 0408 050032) or the Lutheran Drought Aid website.
Thanks for your consideration.
The following items fit into a medium sized lidded container approx. 45.5 x 34.5 x 27 cm. If listed brands are unavailable, replace with equivalent as sizing is important.
- Box 180 tissues 190mm x 180mm
- Novel by an Australian author, Fiona McCallum: A Life of Her Own
- Pkt Faber-Castell 12 Tri Colour pencils
- Fabric pencil case and pencil sharpener
- Pkt 5 greeting cards, homemade or bought
- 8kg washing powder for front and top machines
- 500ml Palmolive Naturals, Milk & Honey body wash, septic tank compatible e.g., no parabens, phthalates, alcohol
- 750ml multi-purpose household cleaner
- Hand-made cake of soap
- 250g Australian Avocado Oil Cream or similar
- Pkt 2 Dove shea butter soap bars
- 200ml bath and shower gel
- 300ml Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner
- 125g Prince 48hr Sport Anti-perspirant deodorant
- 150g/250ml Rexona cotton dry antiperspirant spray
- 90g AIM original flavour toothpaste
- 1 Oral-B toothbrush
- Pkt 3 Bic Gel-ocity gel pens
- Mind Waves Calming Colouring book – Tranquillity. Foreword by Neuroscientist Dr Stan Rodski
- A4 note pads – 2 pack
- Rural Reflections book: Living Out Front with the Outback God. A project of St John’s Lutheran Church, Emerald Qld. This can be purchased on line at: www.emerald.lutheran.org.au
