THE Hastings community has shown in many ways just how thankful it is for the massive fire fighting effort across the region.
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And now you can put your thoughts on paper via the Message to a Hero campaign which is encouraging residents to write letters of thanks to frontline and non-frontline workers and volunteers.
Kristy Slocombe came up with the idea and said it was just another way the community could express their gratitude.
"I was just going through social media and looking at all the wonderful ways people could help or donate during the bushfire events and started thinking about how I could help also," Ms Slocombe said.
"I thought wouldn't it be lovely for all the people who worked on the frontline fighting the fires as well as everyone who volunteered in the evacuation centres, the volunteers at the Koala Hospital and the doctors and nurses who helped people to get a thank you?
"They are all heroes and a hand written note of thanks I think is a small way we can contribute."
From there Mrs Slocombe said the idea of thank you tags came together very quickly with businesses coming on board.
"I contacted an artist friend of mine Elizabeth from ELF prints and she created the artwork and we got the printing of the first batch of cards donated and it has just snowballed.
"The tags are free for the public to write a message on and are available at Regional Australia Bank Offices on the Mid North Coast, Hastings Cooperative IGA Timbertown and IGA Wauchope and will be distributed to local schools and facilities to write on.
"Completed cards will be distributed to both frontline and behind the scenes individuals that have endured these terrible fires and helped keep the community going."
She said she had also started a database of worthy recipients of these tags and we are open to many more.
For more information contact the Message to a Hero Facebook page.