TRADING their set of wheels for a Mazda BT-50A is all in a good cause for the team at New England Family Support Service.
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The new ute, valued at more than $51,353, will be bought thanks to aid from the State Government's Club Grants program.
It means the team won't have to use their own cars to deliver hampers during emergencies, general manager Anne Rix said.
"Often our workers would arrive at an emergency in their own vehicle with these very large hampers," Ms Rix said.
"They would have to do multiple trips because their own cars were too small to transport much needed goods.
"Now, this new ute will allow for easy travel to communities that have been isolated during difficult periods."
New England Family Support Service is a not-for-profit organisation in Rusden Street, Armidale that assists all families with dependent children.
Members provide a range of services, such as helping with parenting skills, improving social connections, providing referrals to specialist services and obtaining information on education, drug, alcohol or legal issues.
The new ute, a Mazda BT-50, will be used for emergency preparation and response, delivering food hampers and keeping food pantries stocked in Walcha, Bundarra and Uralla.
Ms Rix said the Mazda Foundation Rural Recovery Project and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal had provided on-the-ground rural support services that would make good use of the BT50.
"The new vehicle will also be used to help provide food aid and emergency support in Armidale," Ms Rix said.
Delivering the cheque and inspecting the ute, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said, "This is terrific news for New England Family Support Service who provide much-needed services in our community."
