Volunteers do an amazing job in towns like Orange, helping to make the Colour City a place worth living in.

What about those other organisations that help our caring community with support, donations, money, and publicity? That's where Ashcroft IGA's Let's Make Better (LMB) charity comes in, having given more than half a million dollars over the years for important work by not-for-profits helping locals facing life's battles.

Recently celebrating their first decade of good deeds, LMB Director Rochelle Ashcroft explained that this was the intention of the local couple's charitable arm all along.

"It was Ian and I just talking about how the business for years had been giving to groups and how we could do this better," Rochelle recalled.

"We thought, why don't we register our own charity as a way of giving more back, using our business as a regular point of contact?" she added.

Launched in April 2016, the aim was to leverage the profile of their two main shopping outlets in town to financially support groups in the community who help others.

"This includes things like our 'Community Chest' promotion, where specially marked products in-store have a percentage of the profit that goes into that.

"We also hold other fundraising events in-store such as raffles and donations of produce for the food bank, that sort of thing," Rochelle revealed.

As well as FoodCare Orange, other local beneficiaries and partners have included St Vincent de Paul Society's emergency meal relief 'Vinnies Van', Housing Plus, which helps locals experiencing homelessness and escaping domestic violence; Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Orange; and Orange East Public School's Breakfast Club, supported via a dedicated in-store donation cage where customers can drop-off food, snacks, and personal care products for kids in need.

One local group that has been a recent focus of their fundraising efforts, Rochelle explained, is Paula Townsend's Bowen Community Technology Centre, which for two decades has provided a community-centred computer centre and safe play environment for local kids.

"I hadn't ever come across Paula and the work she does, so we went over there and said: 'Here's $2000 to help with the centre's running costs'.

"We haven't in the past known much about it, but I went over there and saw that Paula is doing some really good work for the community," she added, with Paula greatly appreciating the money.

Let's Make Better also provides about $8,000 worth of food annually to Vinnies Food Van for those who would otherwise go without, Orange Services Coordinator Keith Dowling explained.

"Let's Make Better has been a major supporter of the Vinnies Van Service for many years," Keith said.

"Their consistent and dedicated supply of donated deli small goods that make up our sandwich fillings has enabled us to deliver 90 to 120 fresh sandwiches to our visitors on our Night Patrol each Monday and Wednesday night," he explained.

Let's Make Better has also been offering hot meals for the Van, which are all pretty much snapped up each week, Keith told Orange City Life. This involved LMB successfully applying to the community grants program at Bank Orange to provide 40 dinners each week.

"A significant contribution to the van in recent times has been the supply of frozen meals (nutritional meals of meat and three veg), which we cook and serve hot each night, delivering to the community's vulnerable and those doing it tough in the middle of winter," Keith said.

"Vinnies is very grateful to have a partner whose ethic aligns with ours in strengthening community and transforming lives," he concluded.

Orange's own food bank has also been a long-term recipient of valuable produce from LMB, Food Care Coordinator Tim Mordue explained.

"The generosity of Ashcroft's Let's Make Better charity can be measured with the financial support of FoodCare's annual Christmas raffle prize, assistance with our Christmas hampers, donations of gift cards, and support in FOOD Week," Tim said.

"FoodCare customers have been beneficiaries of the kindness of the LMB charitable work over many years; our community is a stronger, better place when we support each other for a better future," he added.

In celebrating Let's Make Better's first ten years, the Ashcrofts paid tribute to all the people, businesses, and organisations in Orange who have given generously and freely of their money or time in some way and helped make Orange the great place it is.

"At the very start, we thought, maybe we can make this bigger and better," Rochelle said.

"And together, we have made a difference!" she concluded.