By Derek Schlennstedt
The Kallista-Patch community has put in concerted efforts to help raise funds for their local CFA.
As part of a fund-raising program at the Kallista general store, locals are invited to place fresh vegetables, nuts or fruit in a basket where residents are then able to donate any amount they want for the food.
The donations are only a small part of various fund-raising programs that the community and Kallista-Patch store run and have helped the CFA to buy, and upgrade various items on their FCV.
The FCV is a forward control vehicle, and was bought with the help of community donations late last year.
Since then ongoing fund-raisers and donations by the community have helped to get well-needed upgrades for their FCV.
Peter Toender, captain at Kallista Patch CFA said the community in the area was great and that thanks to them they had been able to upgrade various items on the car.
“Every little thing helps, and the store and the community have been very enthusiastic supporters,” Captain Toender said.
“We recently got a new light bar; an older mechanical one was quite old and was degrading so we changed it to an LED one, which is brighter and easier to see.”
Since it was bought, the FCV has undergone various changes including a new light bar, a new generator and an LED display on the back door.
These upgrades came as a result of the generous fund-raising and donations made by the Kallista-Patch store and the local community.
Liz Hoorigan co-owns the Kallista-Patch store that helps donate money by residents donating excess fruit or vegetables, which other locals can then take by donating money.
Cucumbers, tomatoes, lemons, squash, zucchinis, tamarillos, figs and chestnuts are just a few of the food items that people donate.
Jill said that people donated very generously and that the CFA was a service worth supporting.
“People are generous in giving their produce and when people take it they’re very generous in giving their donation.”
“Particularly up here where fire danger is a constant worry, they’re essential and they are just so focused on looking after the area and looking after the people here … we think what they do is absolutely essential up here and it’s worth all the support we can give them,” she said.
