Pathfinders will be in Port Macquarie on Wednesday, July 20 as part of their pumpkin run along with Mid North Coast, cooking and serving pumpkin soup for lunch.

Since its inception, Pathfinders’ pumpkin run has delivered more than nine tonnes of pumpkins, fed thousands of meals to men, women and children in need while also showing young people in their programs the nature of generosity in giving back.

Pathfinders provides a broad range of complementary programs to 10,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and families per year.

They have been established for over 30 years, starting life as a crisis youth refuge in 1984. Service delivery extends across 87 per cent of regional, rural and remote communities in the New England, North West and Mid North Coast regions of NSW. 

The idea was born from Pathfinders Tilbuster Station working farm for young people, which is utilised as a venue to continue and expand upon the work that Pathfinders does with at risk youth and local families.

Disadvantaged young people participate in a range of agricultural, horticultural and trade skills programs such as crop and vegetable production, animal husbandry, beef cattle production, fencing, welding and building construction.

Pathfinders engage youth in giving back to the local and broader community by donating the harvested produce to nursing homes, soup kitchens and Meals on Wheels.