Unite and Raise funds rollout with new generator on list for Cudal Bowling Club

While indirectly affected by flood water itself, Cudal's Kitty Walsh says many of those who volunteered are also managing lasting impacts from the traumatic event.

Mrs Walsh's deep cleaning business, Outshine Property Grooming, is no longer operating after those impacts. She now runs the Cudal Bowling Club kitchen three nights a week.

"There's a lot of volunteers who are really struggling in the community as well, sometimes it still doesn't feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

"We're not feeling like we're walking backwards all of the time now, but we're still just treading water slowly, doggy-paddling along."

For another of the small town's volunteers, owner of Renegade martial arts school, disability support worker and Cudal Bowling Club president, Greg Wiltshire is still playing catch-up with post-flood living.

Wearing many hats to stay financially afloat, Mr Wiltshire is still supplying two cabins on his property with heat and power for his displaced parents.

He said his power bill, for the last quarter alone, is currently sitting at $4000.

"I think we'll get there [as a community], but when you've got everyone's insurance that still hasn't come through, it's hard to see that light of hope," he said.

"And at the same time, it's really hard for people to ask for help, because no one wants to say that they're doing it tough and that they're feeling like shit.

"People are proud in country communities, and they'll often just cop it on the chin and help everyone else around them instead; even if they're the ones struggling the most."

Which is why the decision to turn the bowling club into Cudal's evacuation hub was made in the interim.

Mr Wiltshire said it operated consistently for two-months and still has people in need accessing it for food and additional blankets today.

"Those first three days [from November 14], we had people everywhere sleeping on the floor, it was chaos here," Mr Wiltshire said.

"There were 14 houses evacuated in the town with locals trying to reverse what we could of the mayhem, and we've still got about 10 people living in caravans and cabins after nearly nine months.

"It's hard trying to stay in a positive mindset and I think this Christmas is going to be rough, so we're just trying to put 'home' in here and we don't want people going without.

"These guys coming today to boost the club will give us a bit of that light at the end of the tunnel that hasn't really been visible for a while now."

In a major fundraising attempt, the Orange Ex-Services' Club (OESC) hosted February's Unite and Raise luncheon to rally money between clubs - both locally-based and from afar.

On Thursday, July 20, club leaders travelled to Molong, Cudal and Eugowra to meet and distribute funds to Cabonne flood victims.

For key players during the floods like Cudal's club, it means a new mobile generator is now the town's back-up power source, while part of the bill to install new disabled toilet facilities has also been covered and a new cool room motor was contributed as well.

"The evacuation centre and what you did here was phenomenal," OESC CEO, Nathan Whiteside said to the club's board in-person on Thursday.

"And rather than just say 'here's 50 grand', we can buy [the items that are really needed here], and we'd be pretty humbled to say we can help you with those things."

Mr Wiltshire and other club leaders also discussed merging forces to host a family fundraising event in the near future to lift Cudal spirits and reconnect the township.

"A lot of peoples' mental health stuff is just teetering now, it's getting to breaking point for some of them," Mr Wiltshire said.

"We don't want anyone to feel alone or isolated and that's been the goal from the start."

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