Yea was one of the many communities devastated by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
Many of the local residents were left homeless and one of the local businesses that opened its doors to those in need was The Provender Bakery.
For 48 hours the bakery provided refuge, food and charging points for local residents until the Red Cross could arrive to assist.
The news of the bakery’s generosity was uncovered on national news and in true Australian spirit, donations were received from throughout the nation to help cover the cost of helping out the community.
Annabelle Clarke, owner of the bakery with her husband Brad Clarke, recalled some of the heartfelt letters alongside the donations and goods that were sent to the bakery.
“I’ve still got all of them, I couldn’t believe it. There were donations that came in from as far as Perth,” Annabelle said.
“We received flour and ingredients to help bake food for those who were stranded and the firefighters out in the field.”
Annabelle and Brad wanted to ensure that the tireless work of CFA during the bushfires wasn’t forgotten and so the commemorative CFA gingerbread man was born.
“We opened our doors, but the firefighters who responded were the ones who kept our community safe during the event and their work can’t be forgotten.
“The community love them and we now have other emergency services requesting their own little gingerbread men.
Yea Fire Brigade Captain Rod Carbis loves the idea.
“It’s hard to forget the food the bakery and others gave to us during the fires. Their thanks means a lot to us,” Rod said.
The bakery holds a tin in-store for anyone who wants to donate to the Murrindindi & Woodbourne slip-on tanker fund.
Author: CFA News