Golden heart’ of Tennant Creek community provides food packs after closes town’s only supermarket

THE ‘golden heart’ of Tennant Creek has banded together to supply much needed food packs to the community after the only supermarket in town was closed following a fire

Warren H Williams and partner Louise Lam helping out with food donations

The “golden heart” of Tennant Creek banded together over the weekend to supply much needed food packs to the community after the only supermarket in town was closed following a fire.

After the Tennant Creek IGA store was fire damaged last week, the Lions Club organised the transportation of supplies from Alice Springs to make hundreds of healthy food packs.

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Tennant Creek Lions Club president Kate Foran said people have been hungry without food and the community had a “golden heart” to support them with the help of the Barkly Region Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Group.

“There are limited places to get food in town. I spoke to a lady the other night who said all she had on a day was a can of baked beans and some prunes,” she said.

“One of our Lions members is a nutritionist, so she made sure they were healthy, balanced meals.

The a town of about 3000 residents was left without a grocery store after it was engulfed in flames.

It’s estimated about $900,000 worth of stock at the Tennant Creek IGA was destroyed in the fire, which police are treating as suspicious.

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Plans are under way to ensure the Barkly township and surrounding stations and communities have access to essential foods and goods.

The nearest supermarket is a five-hour drive away in Alice Springs.

There are plans to open a temporary store at the BP servo.