The production line working in a Lavington church yesterday to assemble packs for drought-stricken communities had all the bustle of a major factory operation.
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Volunteers from the Riverina and Murray Country Women's Association branches, Southern NSW Lions Clubs and Anglican Church gathered to put together more than 500 pamper packs for women in affected rural communities.
In the St James Anglican Church Hall on Urana Road, about 50 people worked at different stations to fill decorated paper bags.
Thurgoona Public School students helped with adornments, with one bag 'From Kayla' reading 'Let it Rain'.
Thurgoona's Lyn Jacobsen, who is Pleasant Hills CWA president/secretary, said the target of 500 pamper packs was exceeded.
"We have a good system going," she said.
"The donations have come from Wagga to Albury and every town in between.
"Henty has been well-supported and that's my home territory.
"We've purchased 300 of certain things, thinking we might get 200 donations, but we received a lot more.
"Some of the donations are a pack on their own - they are travel bags with many items - so we only have to add toothpaste and a couple other things to those."
Henty's Heather Barrett was among those working in the church hall on Monday morning.
"There's shampoo, soap, toothpaste, perfume, and a little specialty in each bag," she said.
"We would all like to put in more items, but we've got to make sure they don't weigh too much.
"It must be really terrible [the drought in those areas]; we don't realise how lucky we are here."
The pamper packs are hoped to give women, who are often the carers in their families, a lift during an incredibly difficult time and were inspired by a similar activity Mrs Jacobsen was involved in at the Henty Field Days.
"The support we've had has been enormous - some of the Chemists have been really kind-hearted," she said.
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"They're Christmas packs, because we don't want to take business away from the towns, and we are hoping with money we have left over to put vouchers out to all the towns."
IGA supermarkets in East Albury, Henty, Springdale Heights and Jindera accepted donations for the packs, and Mrs Jacobsen said Annie Bullivant's Trash and Treasure at Allity Riverwood Aged Care had raised $3200.
Three volunteers from the community groups will take the goods to Condobolin, Nyngan, and Ivanhoe over coming days and Land Transport will take loads to other areas.