THE Penola community has been at the centre of several heartwarming gestures to police stationed at the South Australia-Victoria border checkpoints.
Gifts have ranged from home-baked goods through to wood to fuel fires used to keep patrols warm during the 24-hour cycle.
Penola resident Sue Price has been among those to show appreciation to police, baking rock cakes and other sweets for officers at the Casterton Road checkpoint to share.
Ms Price used social media to encourage other members to extend a gesture of kindness to police manning the borders.
“We have always lived within a small community and small communities always get together and help one another,” Ms Price said.
“It has been very cold out at the border recently and it would be quite a difficult job for them to do.”
Ms Price said the treats were a show of appreciation for the support border patrols are providing the community.
“They are helping us as a community and keeping us safe and home cooking has a certain comforting feel to it.”
With a son in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), Ms Price was spurred on by her personal connection knowing the appreciation he would feel if shown the same kindness.
“Doing this also sets a standard for the Penola community, such as when we hosted the Police Ball earlier in the year,” she said.
“The officers who came together for that were amazed at how tight the Penola community is.
“It is troubling times and we would like to think positive and that everyone is doing the right thing here but we are just grateful to others who have helped the border patrol and for the border patrol for keeping us safe.”
Penola Terra Rossa Country Women’s Association member Anne Johnson also donated baked goods, providing sausage rolls and cake after seeing Ms Price’s post.
“I discussed the option with the association who believed it was a fantastic idea,” Ms Johnson said.
“It really goes to show how much we value the officers being on the border because they are making us feel a lot safer.
“When I headed out to the border the police officer came up to me and questioned why I was out there but once I let him know I was there on behalf of the association and that I had brought them some lunch he lit up like a Christmas tree.
“It would be such a difficult job for them to do and they are out there in all of the weather the South East goes through and we just wanted to show we appreciate what they are doing and sacrificing to protect us because a lot of them are away from their own families.”
