"We were all in tears": Mum reveals Woolworths’ display of kindness after bushfire tragedy
A NSW mum has shared her gratitude for Woolworths’ “generosity and kindness” after losing her home in the bushfires.
Anna Lawrence lost her home in Willawarrin on the state’s Mid-North Coast earlier this month, according to a GoFundMe page.
Lawrence’s home was one of the 476 homes destroyed in this bushfire season so far.
Lawrence and her two children have since moved to a rental property in Kempsey.
Last weekend, Lawrence went to a Woolworths store in the suburb to get the “bare essentials” amounting to $700 worth of items.
“As we got to the checkout the woman behind the counter went to the manager to try and get $100 off our groceries,” Lawrence told Yahoo News Australia.
“The manager then came down to speak with us.”
The manager then offered to pay for all her groceries, she said. “We were all in tears. It was so nice of them,” she said. “It was really overwhelming.”
Lawrence also expressed her appreciation with a post on the supermarket’s Facebook page.
“After losing our home and all our possessions to the Bush fires in Willawarrin last week, this has been an extremely challenging time for us,” she wrote.
“You have no idea how much your help has meant to us. Words are really hard to express it. You took generosity and kindness to an uncommon level today with surprising us by paying for our first shop for our new home. We’re so grateful for your support.”
Woolworths responded to the post this morning. “Hey Anna, our hearts are with you during these tough times,” the message read. “We wish you all the best for your new beginnings and we're always happy to help. We’ve shared this with our team at the Kempsey store, we’re sure they will appreciate your kind words.”
A Woolworths spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia in a statement: “It’s important for local communities to rally together in response to the devastating bushfires.
“We’re delighted our Kempsey store was able to provide a helping hand in this time of need.”