“When people come in, they have their dignity, they’re not judged. We really wanted it to morph into a community supporting each other. In the early days, one lady said that she sat in her car for 20 minutes, too embarrassed to come in. But then when she saw how friendly everyone looked, she came in. And that lady still comes today.” – Wendy

Food hampers are packaged based on the recipients’ responses to a simple questionnaire, questions asked include; Do you have cooking facilities? Do you have a fridge? Do you have children? If yes, what are their ages? This assists the centre in tailoring the food packages as much as possible. While the food hamper is packed, community members have a moment to socialise and connect over a sausage sizzle and morning tea.

Despite the Cannon Hill suburb being recognised as a higher socio-economic neighborhood, under the surface there are everyday Queenslanders struggling to put food on the table. In recent months, the cost-of-living has continued to impact many individuals and families. Programs like Wellbeing Wednesday are essential to many, who may have never typically sought food relief before.

“There are people that are working, but they might be working either on lower paying jobs or casual positions. While rents and mortgages have continued to go up. I think the whole picture has changed about who’s reaching out for help now. It’s people from single families to single parents, there’s seniors that come along as well, because they’re on pensions. There’s a lot of people that come here that have never ever had to ask for help.” – Wendy

One couple who Wendy recalls was a young family who had recently had a baby when the father unexpectedly lost his job­­. In their moment of need, Wellbeing Wednesdays was there to support with food hampers and other essential items.

“They started coming to Wellbeing Wednesdays for about two to three months and then they stopped. The wife rang us to let us know her husband had gotten a job. She said, ‘Is it okay if I make up a food platter and bring it down to Wellbeing Wednesday for everyone to share?’. And she did.” – Wendy

Your generosity helps Foodbank provide emergency food and groceries to frontline charities across the state, like The Y Cannon Hill Community Centre, to help families like this get back on their feet. Without your support, Wendy, and the volunteers wouldn’t be able to service the growing number of people in need in Cannon Hill and surrounding suburbs.

During their stay, these men are not only provided with a roof over their heads but also are taught valuable life lessons and skills. Daniel, a Youth Worker at New Hope House explained:

“This is a home. So, you’ve got the lounge and you’ve got meals altogether at the dinner table. That’s really intentional for us as our culture. But then we also work with them (the residents) with their living skills. We really focus on their quality of living.”

Daniel and Tim, a Senior Case Worker at New Hope House focus on providing these young men, with routines, accountability, and chores, such as cooking. This is where New Hope House’s partnership with Foodbank Queensland assists in supporting these vulnerable young men. For the last few years, New Hope House has been a Foodbank Member Charity.

The young men who are supported by New Hope House vary, typically the residents find shelter at New Hope House due to a relationship breakdown with their families. Daniel explained that:

“They’re not in the wrong. They haven’t done anything wrong. They’re not into substances. They’re not gambling. There’s nothing wrong with them. They just can’t go home.”

A previous resident at New Hope House who impacted Tim greatly was a resident who had never had a birthday cake and for Daniel it was a 22-year-old who had never learnt to shave. Daniel recounts:

“He came to me one time and he asked, “Do you have any shaving cream? Could you teach me how to shave?” We were in that bathroom for an hour. It was a real father and son moment. I got a little teary, because it was this moment of not only did he physically feel better but also emotionally and mentally, it was quite special.”

The relationships Tim, Daniel and Team Leader, Ben build with New Hope House’s residents is inspiring. Not only does New Hope House provide its residents with the safety of a roof over their heads but also the chance to start anew. As Tim explained:

“We don’t judge them. We give them a full reset, we say to some of the guys, “Imagine there’s a whiteboard. It’s got your history on it. We’re just wiping it clean right now. So let’s just go day by day.”

As the name suggests, New Hope House provides these young men with a space where they can reset, gain new life skills and lessons provided by Tim, Daniel and Ben and ultimately, set them up to feel hopeful. The success of which they see often, with ex-residents inviting them to important life moments, such as graduations. Even the little things, Daniel is grateful to be a part of:

“I had an ex-resident come back three weeks ago. He left a couple of months ago now. But he said, “I guarantee if it wasn’t for that (the cooking) and the living skills, there’s no way I’d be able to live the way I’m living now.” – Daniel

Foodbank Queensland is proud to work alongside New Hope House to help provide food for its residents. Daniel explained how the partnership has assisted them.

“We’re just super grateful here at New Hope House that we’re able to partner with Foodbank who understands the need that’s currently being experienced from Australians. There’s a huge homelessness crisis that is happening but by partnering with Foodbank, we are able to really support those that are in need, from the street to the table.”

If you are in a position to help Foodbank Queensland provide more food across the state to support Queenslanders in need, please consider joining the fight against hunger as a regular giver.

If you are a Queensland charity, Foodbank Queensland membership is a great way to support your food relief projects, offering your organisation a reliable source of food and groceries all year round, you can read more about becoming a Foodbank Member Charity here.