The relief centre site has a supermarket-style appearance as food, cleaning products, clothing and just about every other product you can imagine has landed on the doorstep of the volunteer-run facility.
Among the “white knights’’ to arrive on the church’s doorstep was Sandra Walker, who travelled from Echuca with her daughter, Sally, with $600 worth of products in her tiny hatchback for the appeal.
Ms Walker has a specific fund set aside, which is regularly topped up by her recycling activity, for appeals she deems worthy; the Rochester appeal more than ticked all the boxes.
She delivered the mops, buckets, groceries and cleaning equipment to Community House volunteer Margaret Arambatzis, among the many involved in co-ordinating the donations.
Mrs Arambatzis said she couldn’t put a value on the amount of donations received by the team at the recovery centre
She has been on-site for the entire three weeks of the recovery effort and welcomed Ms Walker’s $600 contribution with open arms and a warm “thank you’’.
Ms Walker approached retail giants Woolworths and Bunnings, who both came to the party and she then chipped in $400 of her own money from the recycling account.
“I walked in and asked to speak to the managers. Scott from Bunnings offered me a 50 per cent discount on whatever I bought and Ben from Woollies gave me a $100 voucher.
"This Rochester situation really did pull at my heartstrings,“ she said.
Ms Walker said she would build up the appeal again to assist wherever else she could.
"This charity account regularly builds up until something or someone comes along that needs it,“ she said.
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