Rotary helping hands extend from city to flood-affected towns

Last week the Rotary Club of Molong and the Stuart Town Public School were visited by members of the Rotary Club of North Sydney who are frequent and welcomed guests of both towns. When residents of the two towns were affected by the serious and long drought that hit this area a few years back - the wonderful members of this city based club came, donated, and helped to place warm smiles to cheer up drought weary faces. They kept in touch after through the friendships formed between rural and city communities.

When the November 2022 flood hit Molong - the North Sydney Rotary Club members donated to help ease the pain of locals affected ... extending their kind hands and thoughts from city to the bush.

Last week Molong Rotary were happy to receive the news that their friends from North Sydney Rotary Club were returning to both Stuart Town and Molong. It was a freezing cold, rainy, snowy kind of day and night that met the Rotary Club members when they returned to the Stuart Town Public School and the Rotary Club of Molong members last week. Finding accommodation at the Molong Motel and the newly refurbished rooms at the Telegraph Hotel - the members were warmly greeted at the Molong RSL Club. Both club members spoke of their current projects, membership and much welcomed sharing of ideas and experiences.

In 2010 the Rotary Club of North Sydney members adopted the children and families of the Stuart Town Public School with a special program called 'Books In Homes'- a program started in NZ which then became available in Australia. As of 2023, and through the generous support of sponsors, donors and funding bodies (like NS Rotary Club) the program has grown to over 2.9 million books distributed across Australia.

The families of the small school - Stuart Town Primary School - through North Sydney Rotary Club now receive samples of available children's book and lists three times a year - where they can choose 3 books each to take home to read with their families and friends.

"It's an educational program," said NS Rotary Club President, Alan Colbert. "And one that kids living in isolated places love to be part of."

The Stuart Town community