Can Assist Harden is asking anyone who can donate cans and bottles to help out, as the money can be used for support for the town. If you have a function or event, they can be called up to facilitate cashing in those cans and bottles. All funds raised from this go directly to your local Can Assist branch for local people in their time of need.
“How it works basically is I collect the cans, I have some bins and that sort of thing that people put the cans in and drop off points. And then from there, I separate them, count the cans and bottles, whatever, and it goes to Parkers, they give me the cash money, and I take that and donate it to Can Assist.
Steve Pinney, who is a driving force behind the project, said, “We actually applied for a grant through GrainCorp, and they supplied us with 25 bins and about 15 baskets, which have got signage on them. I got approval to place like the Rugby Union, the Rugby League, the Race club, and the Kite Festival, so I could put the cans and bins out there for those events.
“The Light Horse Hotel has been a supporter right from the very start when we started doing it, and what they do is they actually have a bin that they put the cans and bottles separate from everything else, and they leave them in a certain spot for me, and I pick them up.
“People just drop the cans and bottles off, and things like that, at the rugby league and the rugby union. Now we are actually advertising that if anybody has a function, we are happy enough to supply the bins and go and collect them.
“This week we reached $18,000, which is 180,000 cans and bottles I’ve counted.
“The bottom line to the whole thing is, and to get it clarified is, the reason I’m doing it is, obviously, for Can Assist, but Can Assist as such has nobody employed in Harden. It’s all voluntary, and not one cent of the money leaves this town. Nothing is going to whoever; whatever organisations are to be spread around. The money raised in Harden stays in Harden, and nobody gets any income out of it in any way, or whatever.
“Initially, my grand-daughter helped out when they re-opened the Light Horse Hotel, and she was down there, and she came up with the idea, and it snowballed from that.
“I had places like the local motel, the gentleman down there rang me and he said, do you want to bring a bin down here, which I did, and he just goes around the rooms before the cleaners go each day and he just collects the cans and bottles and puts them in the bin for me and I pick them up every week or so, and it all adds up.
“I got $506 worth in the last couple of weeks.
“Some people out at Binalong support us; they collect it. I just got a phone call from the Binalong Motel, and they’re happy enough if I put a bin out there.
“I’m retired now, I’m collecting cans for Can Assist to keep me busy and help out.
“The first year at the Race Club, I think I got 6000 cans and bottles. The second year I got 8,000, so that’s $800 that just goes into landfill, so it is better used going to the local Can Assist, and the bottom line is the be all and end all is nothing leaves this town.
“People have only got to contact me and I’m happy to go and collect them from their property or place, and that sort of thing, even some property owners, they might have a wedding on their property and I’ll take a couple of bins out and they will let me know afterwards and I will go and collect them.
“Anybody who wants to get rid of them just contact me, but I’m not going through garbage bins, that is other people’s jobs.
“We are aiming for $25,000 for the year. I don’t know whether I’m going to make that or not, but I’ll try my best.
“Family and friends and people from elsewhere, they just collect them and drop them off when they’re aware of it, and they are only too happy to support it.
“The more people want to donate or want it collected, just contact us.”
Call Steve on 0422 284 962 for a cans and bottles collection bin to be delivered to you. He will then collect when your function has finished.
– Jack Murray
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