The devastation caused by the Kangaroo Island bushfires has caused Angaston's Amy Doecke to turn to her community to support those in need of assistance.
Ms Doecke has family on KI who have been affected by the recent fires, and after providing assistance with fire recovery efforts at Cudlee Creek and Eden Valley by carting stock out of the fire grounds, was keen to help out again.
"By using contacts from our business we were able to source a load of hay and a load of straw straight away." she said.
Ms Doecke wanted to see if she could fill a third load by putting the call out on Facebook for donations, and within 24 hours she had already filled a fifth semi-load of hay from monetary donations.
These guys are giving up their time and their fuel to do this which would cost them a couple thousand dollars. It is fantastic.
- AMY DOECKE
"People are so generous, friends that weren't sure where to donate or what to do, were happy to buy a bale and city friends of mine that would have otherwise not thought of a hay drop also donated," she said.
"What really touched me is that there are people donating who are in drought themselves, and are not in the best financial way," she said.
Ms Doecke said many of the drought-stricken farmers donating hay, who had received donations in the past and were happy to return the favour and help those affected by fires.
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"We have been closely working with Livestock SA to get the trucks directly over to KI which initially proved quite difficult because of space restrictions on the ferry," she said.
The five trucks that will head to KI on January 14 include two trucks from the Doeckes, Angaston Transport, and one truck each from Shane and Carly Roocke, Roocke Freight, Nuriootpa, James and Cirsten Leditschke, JC Trucking, Point Pass, and Darren and Julie Crouch, Crouch Livestock Relocation Services, Rhynie.
"These guys are giving up their time and their fuel to do this which would cost them a couple thousand dollars. It is fantastic," Ms Doecke said.
"We are willing to take it all the way to the Island instead of having to make farmers come to the feed dump at Cape Jervois. The loads are already strapped on, we might as well just get it straight over and onto farms."
The KI hay drop is closely coordinated with Livestock SA and PIRSA to determine exactly who needs the feed and where it will be delivered on KI once it arrives on Tuesday.
Ms Doecke's charity is also facilitating other donations to be delivered to KI.
"We have got room to put posts, poly pipe and similar on the trucks so with the extra donations (we have been receiving) now that the fifth truck is full, we are going to get some essential gear together to drop out there as well," she said.
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"The agricultural community is such a well knit community that you always help your neighbours whether they are across KI or across Victoria or even in Cudlee Creek.
It's one of those things that if someone is in trouble everyone is always there to help each other out."
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