16 December 2020 Local business shares Christmas spirit

A LOCAL business has handed over funds which would have been used for its Christmas party to assist the Wangaratta Carevan.

Yenda Producers Co-operative (in conjunction with its NorMac branches) usually holds annual Christmas functions for co-op members/shareholders and staff, to thank them for their support during the year. However, with COVID-19 guidelines placing restrictions on such celebrations, the board of directors decided to instead distribute funds to each of its branches, which could then be passed on to community-based charities in the respective member areas.

The co-op has six branches (four in NSW – two in Yenda, and one each in Leeton and Griffith - and two in Victoria – Baranduda and Wangaratta, the two NorMac businesses which were incorporated into the co-op structure on July 1).

"The aim was to support organisations in all these areas; in total, over $25,000 has been donated to over a dozen community-based charities which help out in our local communities," Peter Calabria, Yenda Producers Co-operative managing director, said.

"As a co-op, we rely on local support, and in turn our co-op’s philosophy is to put back into local communities to help knit them together so that they remain strong and sustainable." 

NorMac-Yenda Producers Wangaratta branch manager Adam McNamara said the Wangaratta Carevan Inc. would receive the local contribution of $2000.

"We thought they would be a great recipient, it's a great cause, and we hope it helps their work," Mr McNamara said. He said while the company had been kept relatively busy during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the rural industry remained open, NorMac-Yenda knew many people had done it tough in 2020, and the Wangaratta branch was keen to make sure those in need felt the Christmas spirit.

CHRISTMAS GIFT: Carevan Wangaratta treasurer Ross Johnston, regional manager NorMac-Yenda Producers Andy Norling, Carevan marketing and media coordinator Trudy Cornish, Normac-Yenda Producers Wangaratta manager Adam McNamara and Yenda Producers Co-Operative managing director Peter Calabria at the handover of the NorMac-Yenda donation to Wangaratta Carevan. PHOTO: Kieren Tilly