The Glen Innes Seventh-day Adventist Church has been feeding the multitude – not miraculous loaves and fishes, but serving free breakfasts to drought-affected schools in the region.
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“We’re just trying to do what we can to help,” church pastor Afi Tuaoi said.
One might almost say they’ve been a godsend to small communities doing it tough – like Red Range.
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“It’s quite bad in the area," Nicole Hutton, principal of the village’s 46-student Public School, said.
“Quite a few of our families that live in the village have actually had to purchase water. We’ve opened our disabled shower if they needed to use that. We’re lucky we’ve had a bit of rain recently."
On Friday, Mr Tuaoi and volunteers from the church served free breakfasts to the school’s children and their families.
The school incorporated the breakfast with their Grandparents Day, to reach more of the community.
Their P&C also held their first colour fun run, an obstacle course where children end up covered in multi-hued powder.
The event, which the school believes is the first in the region, raised $3500.
“We're just very appreciative of the support that we've got from the community, from our parents, and from our community organizations such as the 7th Day Adventist Church,” Ms Hutton said.
The church runs the Glen Food Hub.
“We decided that rather than go out to the farmers or get them to come to us,” Mr Tuaoi said, “it might be best if we went to the rural schools where the farmers might be, and do a breakfast for the school kids.”
The school breakfasts are sponsored by the Sanitarium Health Food Co, which donated boxes of Weetbix and So Good Milk; Adventist Community Services; and Glen Innes Woolworths, which donated eggs and sausages.
Each family from the schools visited will also receive hampers of non-perishable pantry goods donated by Foodbank NSW, toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, washing liquid), and other household essentials.
A fortnight ago, they were in Ben Lomond; this Friday, they will be in Emmaville, with more schools to follow.