You know the saying ‘when the times get tough, the tough get going’?

Well that pretty much sums up our community who, in the face of adversity when the cost of living is high, national unemployment has risen, fuel prices are steep, and the housing crisis is a very real barrier for many, have banded together to support those in need.

Local emergency food relief service Loaves and Fishes - Christians Caring (LF-CC) held its latest Grab a Grocery appeal, raising more than $5000, or 800kg, worth of food and other groceries to be distributed to those doing it tough.

What stands out most is not simply the scale of the donation effort, but what it says about Wangaratta itself.

More than 1200 individual donors, volunteers buoyed by the response, and even children choosing items from the shelves to give, all point to a community that still understands the value of looking after one another when pressure is mounting on household budgets.

Just as important is the reminder that this support is not a one-off gesture.

LF-CC is seeing more first-time clients and expects demand to rise further as winter bites, making the appeal both a lifeline and a warning.

The generosity shown on Saturday deserves to be celebrated, but it should also sharpen our focus on the growing number of neighbours quietly needing help close to home.

Those who were unable to visit Woolworths for Saturday's collection can still donate to assist the service by visiting https://donorbox.org/loaves-and-fishes-christians-caring.

Donations of food items, and tax-deductible monetary donations, can also be made at the Salvation Army Corps building in Greta Road.