The drought and its effects are still with us in spite of recent rain which has brought new hope to some. While we rejoice with those farmers who have received good rain, the falls have been very uneven and there are still areas which have had no rain at all and others very little. Hundreds of farming families have now received assistance from funds raised in the various drought relief appeals as The Salvos continues to distribute these throughout NSW and Qld, however, there are many who have not contacted The Salvos, who say the biggest difficulty for providing support is the reluctance of farmers to ask for help.
Assistance is still available and may be accessed by registering via 1300 36 36 22. The Salvation Army will call back to arrange assistance via the most convenient means.
Alternatively, if the farmer or rural contractor lives within 1 hour’s travel of the following Salvation Army Community Welfare Centres, they may access drought assistance via specific arrangements for each centre as listed below. A phone call during the hours listed to arrange an appointment is required. If the call goes to an answering service, a return contact name and phone number should be left.
| Contact Name | Phone Hours | Phone Contact | |
| Gunnedah CWC | John Mallows | Wed. 9am – 12pm | 02 6742 6380 |
| Tenterfield CWC | Yolande Soper | Fri. 10am – 12pm | 02 6736 3587 |
| Narrabri CWC | Alice Folan-Foley | Thurs. 10am – 12.30pm | 02 6792 5519 |
| Moree CWC | BJ Moulder | Wed. 9am – 12pm | 02 6752 1687 |
| Tamworth CWC | David Lodge | Tues. 9am – 1pm | 02 6766 7623 |
| Bathurst CWC | Dave Mills | Tues, Wed, Fri 9am – 4pm | 02 6331 4956 |
| Forbes/Parkes CWC | Troy Munro | Mon – Fri 9am – 4pm | 02 6852 2133 |
| Dubbo CWC | Mark Townsend or Leyna Howard | Mon, Wed, Fri 10am – 1pm | 02 6884 3079 |
| Armidale/Uralla | Sharon Gousteris | Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm | 02 6772 8319 |
Also, there have been a significant number of reports of people calling the wrong 1300 number ( 1300 SALVOS) – please ensure that the correct number for Drought Relief – 1300 36 36 22.
Most farmers are still experiencing the adverse effects of drought and will be for some time yet. If you or anyone you know is still effected by drought, please contact the Salvos for support.