Benefit night for Rhodes family

The Bays Community Group held a benefit night for the Rhodes family who lost their Woy Woy Bay home to a house fire on July 25.

The fundraising night was held at the Bays Community Hall on August 8, to raise money and provide the family with kitchen and non-perishable food items.

Each family in the area was asked to bring along items starting with the first letter of their last name to ensure the family received a variety of food and kitchen items.

"In the true spirit of Aussie mateship and friendship, neighbours and friends rallied around and at the special Benefit Night showed how much they loved and valued the Rhodes family," group president Mr Bob Puffett said.

"Everybody was most generous and gave the Rhodes family a great start to the next phase on their life's pathway."

"We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our wonderful community following the loss of our beloved family home in the recent fire," Mr Ian Rhodes said.

"The kindness and generosity shown to our family has touched all of us deeply.

"The initial Sunday night dinner shared with the Lovatts, the Hopkins and cooked by the Sextys held us together in those early shocked hours.

"This was followed by lots of offers of accommodation so that we didn't have to leave our beloved bay."

Bob Puffett hunted us down in the Umina Caravan Park on the first day with offers of help from the whole community.

"Laurie Davids got to work finding us a place to live.

"Friends and neighbours arrived with lots of wine, coffee and home cooked meals.

"This was all topped off with a spirit of sorrow, kindness and generosity that permeated throughout the bay.

"The community event that was held in honour of our loss on the night of August 8, gave us all time to reflect and share the experience.

"We have come home with a trailer laden with beautiful gifts of all shapes and sizes - a token of the spirit of kindness that makes the bay such a great place to live.

"This will go a long way to helping us with the nuts and bolts of keeping the family going."

Newsletter, 19 Aug 2009 The Bays Community Group