Ed,

Thank you so very much for a glorious Sunday morning of sharing, caring, friendship and fun.

It was a great day and we achieved our fundraising goal for February and March.

Thank you to the Independent newspaper for honouring us with their front page. We were thrilled and surprised to received wonderful comments from it.

Due to our isolation from the rest of the world, our Medicare health system and incredible government support during Covid pandemic, many of us in the Clarence Valley has been sheltered from the devastating and life threatening repercussions of the virus. Not so in the Philippines. With a population of 110 million spread over numerous islands where major revenue come from tourism, maritime employment and export of manpower (through overseas workers such as nurses, midwife, carers, engineers, domestic helpers etc.), the pandemic has been crippling and devastating.

The imposition of curfew, existing unemployment, expensive bond to access hospital system as well as natural disasters like typhoons fires and floods made 2020 an extremely difficult year for most of the poverty stricken communities.

LCMC has witnessed over the 12 months that a small act of human kindness across the ocean with best wishes in a bowl of rice or milk for infants can bring such gratitude and incredible hope into so many lives. We thank everyone who has supported us through 2020 and hope 2021 sees better health and wealth once again to the beautiful islands of the Philippines.

Bobby McCaughey, Lower Clarence Multicultural Committee (LCMC)