Thornleigh residents Nick Drayton and his partner Viv Kartsounis have been known to give their time and support to helping those in need.
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Throughout the past two weeks Mr Drayton has dropped off more than 15 bags of groceries and 12 bags of dog food to the Lithgow Mercury to be delivered to farmers struggling with the drought.
Ms Kartsounis, who works at Curves gym, has been collecting donations from clients and gym goers who wish to help.
“We’ve got a property in Capertee and we noticed our dam was down to two metres and the livestock were just struggling without water,” Mr Drayton said.
“Luckily for us our income and livelihood isn’t depended on the property but it is for a lot of people who are far worse off then us.”
We just want to help out, it’s what we do.
- Nick Drayton
The donations dropped off at the Lithgow Mercury office will be going to Hartley Valley Holiday Farm for distribution to those in need.
Administration assistant Madison Edwards has volunteered to drive the goods to Bathurst on a monthly basis, which will then be distributed to farmers throughout NSW by charity ‘Aussie Helpers’.
The charitable couple also run a charity ‘Shoes for Planet Earth’ which provides recycled sports shoes via donations by local communities and corporate sponsors to those in need around Australia.
“It started when Viv and I participated in a run in South Africa where you would run 90km between two cities and you would see these young kids running with bare feet,” he said.
The not-for-profit organisation started in 2009 and has so far helped more than 30,000 people.
The charity has also provided fitness training and sporting activities for kids, drug rehabilitated youth and the homeless.
“Athletes Foot in the major capital cities act as a drop off point for the shoes, and in Perth we met this lovely homeless person who actually takes the shoes around to those who need them,” he said.
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The charity hopes to expand their operation to benefit more needy individuals and communities as well as give more children from poorer families the opportunity to play team sports.
“Our home is buried in shoes and farmer donations at the moment but that’s how we like it,” he said.