Get your nana’s ANZAC biscuit recipe ready, spatulas set…..and GO!!!! Get your bake on for the second annual #lovetothewest campaign via #bakedrelief, sending home-baked goodies to drought affected farming families in Queensland this Valentines Day.

Baked Relief is a direct giving network founded by the amazing Danielle Crismani after the devastating 2011 Queensland floods in Australia. Initially providing baked goods to State Emergency Services volunteers who were sandbagging around Brisbane, #bakedrelief continues to grow helping families affected by natural disasters.

Despite some heavy rains across much of Queensland, huge areas of Queensland are moving into their third year of drought.  As at 1st January 2015, around 75% of Queensland was drought declared.

One farming family wrote on the #bakedrelief facebook page “we have not had enough rain to even measure, and we are now well into our third year of the lowest rainfall in 100 years”.

For some farming families there are mounting bills, rising costs and stock deaths, many families have been pushed to breaking point.

Last year on Valentine’s Day, everyday Queenslanders sent over three tonnes some home baked love and messages to these families via the #bakedrelief #lovetothewest Valentines Day campaign.

Through Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network (QRRRWN), a flood of a different kind emerged, one of cheer, love and encouragement to farming families doing it tough.

This year again #bakedrelief want to mobilise that love and support.  Encouraging city folk to send #lovetothewest and let farmers know they are not alone.

So what are you waiting for??? Get baking! Assemble a kit as a family, as a workplace, as a mothers group, and prepare a morning or afternoon tea kit for a rural family as a 2015 Valentine’s Day gift. With corporate support, Baked Relief will send these ‘Smoko Kits’ directly via Australia Post.  Every the farmers in the most remote locations in Queensland will receive the surprise in their mailbox within days.  Find out what you need to put into your Valentines Day kit here.

There are four easy options to helping create a kit:

Option 1.  Assemble a smoko kit yourself, and drop it to #bakedrelief collection points
Option 2.  Get your workplace, group of friends, mothers group, school friends, nieghbours together to create multiple Valentines Day #lovetothewest kits
Option 3. Contribute items to help the team at #bakedrelief create these smoko kits
Option 4. Make a donation to QRRRWN to help roll out this project, email digella@gmail.com for details.

The Smoko Kits come with the message “Happy Valentine’s Day! We cannot be there to have a cup of tea and a chat but here is something we baked especially for you to let you know we are thinking of you. From my family to yours.”

“This is no substitute for financial support or for rain,” says Danielle. “It won’t pay the bills, grow the hay or feed the cows. But we do know from the response to last year’s project that we can nourish the heart of a farmer just for a minute. We rely on farmers to feed our families three times a day and we want them to know they are important and loved.”

For more information on how you can get involved visit #bakedrelief on facebook, or visit www.bakedrelief.org  and join the conversation on twitter via #lovetothewest #bakedrelief.

Please share this post on your own facebook page to show your #lovetothewest this Valentines Day and encourage others to also get involved.