{
  "id": 6827136,
  "title": "84yo nan drives 2,000km to donate clothes to communities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/84yo-nan-drives-2-000km-to-donate-clothes-to-communities",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T00:16:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-12/op-shop-owner-nan-barb-goes-north-donates-clothes/107106004"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Barbara Carroll, affectionately known as Nan Barb, is an 84-year-old op-shop owner from Donnybrook, a town 200 kilometers south of Perth in Western Australia. Despite her age, Nan undertakes lengthy road trips, covering more than 2,000 kilometers, to distribute donated clothes to charities and women's refuges in remote communities such as Carnarvon, Newman, Nullagine, and Roebourne. She doesn't seek rewards for her selfless acts, stating, \"Somebody needs help, you help them, and that's what I do.\"\n\nNan's passion for country music helps her pass the time during these long drives, and she prefers traveling alone. The op shop she manages is filled with an abundance of donated items, ranging from old appliances to elegant wedding dresses. Her charitable initiative, named \"Nan Goes North,\" was launched due to an excess of clothes from the South West region of Western Australia.\n\nNan's granddaughter, Tara Carroll, a proud Wiradjuri woman, often joins her grandmother on these trips. Tara emphasizes the challenges faced by remote communities, such as limited access to medical care and clothing. Tara says, \"Living remotely, that's a disadvantage already because they don't have access to a lot of medical or clothing or whatever it be. So to be able to go with Nan on these adventures with all the clothes and anything that they need, it's pretty cool.\"\n\nNan's deep connection to the Northern communities stems from her upbringing in the remote Nullagine community in the Pilbara region, which she describes as her \"tribal family.\" Community advocate Shahenaz Kouzi, who works with the Newman-based Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service and a former staff member at the local women's refuge, praises Nan for her regular donations of various clothing items. She says, \"Blankets, winter and summer clothing, baby clothes, women's and men's clothing, it's tremendous. We love her. I wish she was my Nan.\"\n\nLocal community members, such as Donnybrook op shop volunteer Andrew Clifford, describe Nan as a beloved, straight-talking local with a humorous and rough accent. Tara Carroll notes that despite occasional mishaps during her grandmother's adventures, Nan always finds a way back home, attributing her good fortune to \"good karma.\" Community advocate Kouzi recalls providing Nan with eskies full of ice when her van's air conditioning broke down, ensuring her comfort during these journeys. Her family and community are now raising funds for a truck to expand Nan's outreach and allow her to travel with a passenger, aside from her dog, Bob.",
  "summary": "Barbara Carroll is on a personal mission to distribute donated clothes to charities and women's refuges in the most remote corners of WA.",
  "key_points": [
    "84-year-old Barbara Carroll, known as Nan Barb, drives 2,000km to donate clothes",
    "Nan's charity, \"Nan Goes North,\" addresses remote communities' clothing needs",
    "Nan's granddaughter Tara joins trips, highlighting challenges faced by isolated areas"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Nan's charitable initiative highlights the challenges faced by remote communities and underscores the impact one person's selfless efforts can have on addressing their needs.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}