Nexus Care provides hope to those experiencing hunger in Brisbane

Nexus Care is one of Foodbank Queensland’s 300 Member Charities providing vital support to those most in need in the north Brisbane community.

The team at Nexus Care support Queenslanders experiencing hunger through their Fresh Start Food Program and School Breakfast Program. Developed by a nutritionist, the Fresh Start Food Program offers healthy, substantial food parcels to anyone experiencing hardship. The parcels contain quality, nutritious non-perishable items, a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, bread, and dairy products and are designed to create several meals to support a household. 

In 2021 Nexus Care provided over 3,185 food parcels, which is equivalent to 127,400 meals in the year through their Fresh Start Food Program.

Suki O’Dea, Nexus Care Community Programs Coordinator, said they were passionate about giving dignity, hope and a fresh start to each person that came through their doors.

“The heart of Nexus Care is to alleviate poverty in our community.

“Foodbank is one of our key partnerships – We include four kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables in each food parcel and would be unable to reach that target without our twice-weekly visits to Foodbank for quality fresh produce,” she said.

With the support of Foodbank Queensland, Nexus Care also runs a School Breakfast Program in five local schools, providing a nutritious breakfast to approximately 500 children a week.

Suki said their School Breakfast Program offered students a selection of milk, fruit, yoghurt and hot items such as toasties and pancakes. 

“We would be unable to run our Brekky Clubs without the food provided by Foodbank,” Suki said.

“Each Monday we collect 65kg of bananas for this program and without fail, every week I have the admin staff from one primary school tell me that their students say the Foodbank bananas are the best they have ever tasted. And they are very adamant about that – nothing tastes better than a Foodbank banana!

“At this school, the bananas are delivered early on a Tuesday morning and available from the office all week, often providing not only a breakfast, but also a lunch and sometimes afternoon tea as well,” she said.

As we see COVID-19 case numbers increase once again in the community, many of our frontline Member Charities are struggling to meet the rising need for food relief in Queensland. Sadly, the impacts of the pandemic are making it harder for many families to put food on the table, with many Queenslanders reaching out for help for the very first time.

Suki said Christmas was a particularly busy time for Nexus Care, providing food hampers to 420 Brisbane families in immense hardship as well as supporting families and partner organisations with 730 Christmas Treat hampers.

“What worked was the diversity of fresh produce from Foodbank that we could not have afforded to buy from our local shop. The quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables we collected from Foodbank was considerable and made a huge difference to our Christmas food parcels,” she said.

One of Nexus Care’s guests left this note after receiving a Christmas food hamper:

“I wanted to write to you to say a big thank you for the food parcel, the wonderful present for my son and helping out with my rent. I was so sick with worry and anxiety due to the horrible situation I am in and to know that my 9-year-old will now have a really beautiful Christmas is amazing. The work you all do is wonderful and while I never thought I would have to use your services, I am forever grateful you are there to provide for all those in need. Thank you.” – Anonymous

At Nexus Care, COVID-19 has seen the introduction of several new programs for people from non-English speaking and other backgrounds.

Suki said they run free classes designed to strengthen English language skills needed for finding and securing a job. “We also run a free personalised job-assistance program to assist people find meaningful employment. What better way to alleviate hunger than by securing worthwhile employment,” she said.

In partnership with Fareshare, Foodbank Queensland also supports Nexus Care by providing ready-to-eat meals.

Suki said knowing there’s at least one nutritious meal a day is one less problem to solve for many people under significant stress.

“Fareshare meals have allowed us to customise our food relief provision to better meet the needs of our guests. Not everyone has access to suitable cooking facilities or the ability to be able to cook, so Fareshare is a wonderful inclusion to our program,” she said.

“George is a solo parent of three young children. He has a brain injury as well as managing mental health issues and because of this, needs meals that require minimal preparation and shortened cooking times. The first time we offered him Fareshare meals, the relief on his face was so obvious and he was ever so grateful. We had initially included a leg of pork in his food parcel, thinking that this would be a great treat for the family. He said no and explained that it would be too overwhelming for him and he just couldn’t manage it. The Fareshare meals allow him to feed the family well without the angst involved with cooking a more substantial meal.”

“We are so grateful for the amazing work of Foodbank, and it is a privilege to partner together. Thanks for being our pantry!” Suki said.

Foodbank Queensland is delighted to have been working with Nexus Care for more than 10 years to help give food and hope to families in Brisbane facing tough times.

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.

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.

A lifechanger.

In November last year, Alex was looking at the festive season ahead and simply didn’t know how she would afford enough food for her four kids, Amelyia, Izabella, Archie and Peyton, much less presents under the tree.

Thanks to your generous donations not only did Alex have a full pantry, the money she saved on buying groceries provided the opportunity for the kids to get some lovely presents.

Alex now also has a full-time job! Not only does this provide financial security for Alex’s family, but so many other benefits as well. A sense of self-worth, and something important to do every day.

Thank you for supporting Alex and families just like hers through the festive season. Your special gift provided so much more than just food on Christmas Day – it gave hope, dignity, and reaffirmed self-worth.

Big Bus, big deal.

Foodbank Victoria is thrilled to be introducing two whopping 18 metre ‘articulated buses’ (bendy buses) to it’s collection of vehicles. With the assistance and support of SkyBus and Kinetic, we have turned these buses normally used for airport transfers, into the coolest mobile supermarkets on the planet. (We think we may have a world first!).

With entry at the back and exit at the front, the 18-metre bendy buses offer a miniature supermarket experience with shelving and refrigeration stocked with a range of fresh produce, pantry and staple items. Each bus will support approximately 100 families at every location with around 15 kilograms of food per family.

Foodbank Victoria CEO Dave McNamara says the mobile supermarket program will allow many struggling Victorians to access healthy and nutritious food.

“This is a concept that allows us to visit people who often don’t have the capacity to travel or who aren’t receiving food relief in the traditional ways. It also allows us to provide a truly bespoke food relief service to the emerging culturally and linguistically diverse communities around metro Melbourne”.

Keep an eye out and give us a wave if you see the big purple buses (sounds like a Wiggles reference. Funnily enough, the first bus is named Dorothy!) heading in your direction.

To see Dorothy in action, click on the arrow

Hamish Blake & Chrissie Swan join the Foodbank Family!

We’re high fiving ourselves silly to have these two on board as ambassadors.

Known for his national radio show with Andy Lee and more recently winning the hearts of Lego fans everywhere as host of Channel Nine’s Lego Masters, Hamish took part in our annual cycling event ‘The Hunger Ride’ in 2020, and was immediately keen to do more.

“I’m super proud to represent the work of Foodbank because they make an immediate difference to people in need in an area that couldn’t be simpler: food. Whether it’s families hit by bushfires, COVID-19 or refugees, Foodbank is there to, at the least, help them eat”.

We are thrilled to have him. Not only was he the The Hunger Ride’s biggest fundraiser in 2020 (amazing), but his enthusiasm is tops.

As one part of the Chrissy, Sam and Browny radio show on Nova, Chrissie first noticed our work in early 2020. “I watched with awe at how Foodbank Victoria heaped love and assistance on people doing it tough during the pandemic and the bushfires and thought: Gee, I wonder if they’d have me?”. Um, yes we would. We were so excited we even had one of our team create Chrissie her very own high vis vest. (shh, don’t tell Hamish).

Chrissie and Hamish will continue to help us spread the word through 2022. We might even put them to work on our hamper line. Let’s see if they can pack more hampers than Lizzo or Gordon Ramsey!

You might call us crazy but we have a HUGE goal this Christmas…Together with Gandel Foundation we can create ONE MILLION MEALS for Victorians in need.

Until midnight Tuesday, Gandel Foundation are doubling your donation dollar-for-dollar. Your kind gift today will create DOUBLE the meals and have DOUBLE the impact.

Victorians have been hit harder than ever in the past year. So we want to make sure families in need not only have good food on Christmas Day, but well into the New Year too.

Let’s do this Victoria!

SCA Embrace: Charity partnership with Foodbank Australia and Make-a-Wish Australia

13 December: SCA today announced a two-year partnership with Make-A-Wish Australia and Foodbank Australia as part of its charity program, SCA Embrace, commencing 1 January 2022.

Launched in 2016, SCA Embrace will continue its commitment to corporate social responsibility and the two charities will be provided with in-kind advertising campaigns, strategic support, and consumer insights as well as content and promotional support across SCA’s media assets. SCA staff will also be encouraged to be involved in areas such as creative ideation, research, local community activities, and volunteering opportunities.

SCA CEO, Grant Blackley, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Foodbank Australia and Make-A-Wish Australia. We are all very aware of the difficulties the non-for-profit sector has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to supporting both organisations for this two-year term.

“Since its inception in 2016, SCA Embrace has provided $135 million of in-kind advertising to our charity partners. To know that our people’s time and expertise, along with our broad media reach is making a noticeable impact to the lives of many Australians is both a privilege and pleasure on behalf of our company and people”.

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said: “The issue of hunger in Australia is largely hidden by stigma and shame, but the reality is we’re all likely to know someone who has gone hungry in the face of hardship. This invaluable partnership with Southern Cross Austereo will deliver Foodbank a national platform to help speak on behalf of those who wouldn’t otherwise have a voice and help us get food relief to every adult and child who needs it.

“Foodbank is currently feeding more than one million people each month, but sadly, we know there are many more who don’t ask for help. They may feel someone else needs help more than them, or they may feel ashamed or embarrassed. Through SCA Embrace, we hope to break the stigma and tell the nation that it is ok to ask for help. Life happens to us all and Foodbank will always be here to help. We couldn’t be more grateful to the SCA team for believing in our vision of an Australia without hunger and we look forward to a long and impactful relationship that changes the lives of vulnerable Australians.”

Make-A-Wish Australia CEO, Sally Bateman, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be selected as one of SCA’s charity partners. Helping critically ill children find hope is something we all have the power to do. With our ‘Be Inspired’ program, and this important partnership with SCA Embrace, we will be able to reach millions of Australians across the country and make more incredible wishes come true for children with critical illnesses. With over 800 children patiently counting down the days until their wish is possible due to the impacts of COVID-19, there has never been a more important time.”

FoodLegal partners with Foodbank Australia

7^th December 2021: Australia’s experts in Australian Food Law, FoodLegal have become an official supporter of Foodbank Australia, the country’s leading food and grocery relief organisation responsible for distributing 48.8 million kilograms of food and grocery relief to 2,950 charities nationwide in 2020.

FoodLegal will continue to provide legal assistance and help Foodbank navigate and validate the not-for-profits’ requirements and that of its national donors around the acceptance and distribution of donated food and groceries.

FoodLegal works with food businesses to provide tailored compliance solutions and advice for the Australian market. FoodLegal CEO, Cheryl McLeod says FoodLegal is excited to expand its relationship with Foodbank Australia. “We very much look forward to working more closely with Foodbank to support its objectives in distributing safe, suitable food to those in need.”

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey says this donated service will be invaluable. “We thoroughly welcome FoodLegal to the Foodbank family. As a national supporter the team’s expertise and knowledge will help us ensure that we, our donors and our charities have greater assurance that we are meeting all legal requirements of redistribution safety.”

Foodbank Australia provides food and grocery relief to more than 1 million Australians every month. It works with the entire Australian food and grocery industry including farmers, wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers to source fresh and manufactured foods as well as personal and household care items for people doing it tough.

Donations include stock that doesn’t meet industry specifications, is close to expiry or excess to requirements. In addition, companies also make donations as part of their corporate social responsibility commitments.

“We are really grateful for the team at FoodLegal. Working with the complexities of donated food and groceries has occupied so much of our time to ensure we get it right so having the experts from FoodLegal on board, who will be able to do it in a fraction of what we can, is just invaluable.” Ms Casey said.

https://foodlegal.com.au/

Foodbank celebrates support from the land

Friday 19^th November: Today on National Ag Day, Foodbank Australia celebrates and highlights the critical role our farmers, growers and producers play to ensure nutritious, fresh food relief is accessible to thousands of communities across the country.

Foodbank works actively with Australia’s generous agriculture industry to provide more than 17 million kilograms of fresh produce, milk, eggs, rice, grains, legumes and protein needed to assist the more than one million Australians each month receiving food relief through the Foodbank network.

Despite enduring some of the toughest periods on record, Australian growers, producers and farmers have continued to support Foodbank throughout. In 2020, Foodbank sourced 88 million meals for its charity partners – 30% of which was sourced directly from our agri programs – and more than 40% of the food and groceries distributed through the Foodbank network nationally goes to rural and regional areas.

This year, Foodbank Australia has extended National Farmers’ Federation’s Ag Day from one day on 19^th November, to an entire week to raise awareness of the support it receives from the Australian agriculture industry and highlight the gaps where support is still needed.

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, explains, “We are so fortunate to have such strong relationships with our wonderful growers, farmers and producers who help us ensure those doing it tough have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products, rice and so much more. We work with our partners all the way along our ‘surprise chain’ to rescue perfectly imperfect products, meaning we’re filling empty tummies rather than landfill, and ensuring our farmers’ hard work to produce world class food is not wasted. In addition, we have countless farmers and agribusinesses across the country making regular donations and engaging in seasonal programs to ensure we have a consistent supply of in-demand products year-round.

“This Ag Day, we not only want to say a massive thank you to everyone in the agri-sector, but we also want to celebrate this year’s theme, ‘Choose your #AgVenture’, highlighting the many and varied exciting careers in agriculture, both inside and beyond the farm gate. Whether you live in the city or in the country, there is an exciting career to be found in agriculture. My personal AgVenture in farm lobby groups and at Foodbank has been spent living in the city, but my connection to agriculture has been constant and enduring, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be working closely with National Farmers’ Federation members right across Australia as we strive towards zero hunger in Australia”.

Last month Foodbank revealed in the Foodbank Hunger Report 2021 that one in six Australian adults haven’t had enough to eat in the last year and, even more shockingly, 1.2 million children have gone hungry.

“We produce enough food and groceries to feed our population three times over, yet we know there are many people across Australia going without. Foodbank provides an avenue to connect those vulnerable Australians with essential food relief, much of which is donated by Australia’s world class farmers, growers and producers.

“This week is a chance for us to highlight our innovative agri-programs, securing a steady supply of everyday essentials like pasta, pasta sauce, cereal and sausages. In a country the size of Australia these programs couldn’t happen without the added support of equipment and transport providers to help us get it to where it is needed the most.”

Throughout the week, Foodbank will be highlighting its agri program partners and how their products make a difference to the lives of many in our communities across the country every day.

Foodbank would like to thank its national donors, agri-program partners and industry body supporters.

CELEBRATING FARMERS FEEDING AUSTRALIA

This year, we have extended National Farmers’ Federation’s Ag Day from one day on 19^th November, to an entire week to raise awareness of the support we receive from the Australian agriculture industry in the form of many unique programs and highlight the gaps where support is still needed.

Foodbank works actively with the selfless and generous agri-industry to ensure we provide more than 17 million kilograms of fresh produce, milk, eggs and protein needed to assist the more than one million Australians each month doing it tough and who might otherwise go without.

Despite enduring some of the toughest periods on record, Australian growers, producers and farmers have continued to support Foodbank over the years. In 2020, Foodbank sourced 88 million meals for its charity partners – 30% of which was sourced directly from our agri programs and 40% was distributed back into helping those in regional and rural areas.

(Image Provided by Australian Country Choice)

We are so fortunate to have such strong relationships with our wonderful growers, farmers and producers who help us ensure those doing it tough have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy products, rice and so much more.

says Brianna Casey, CEO Foodbank Australia

We work with our partners all the way along our ‘surprise chain’ to rescue perfectly imperfect products, meaning we’re filling empty tummies rather than landfill, and ensuring our farmers’ hard work to produce world class food is not wasted. We are also fortunate to have farmers and agribusinesses across the country making regular donations and engaging in seasonal programs to ensure we have a consistent supply of products year-round.

This AgDay, we not only want to say a massive thank you to everyone in the agri-sector, but we also want to celebrate this year’s theme, ‘Choose your #AgVenture’, highlighting the many and varied exciting careers in agriculture, both inside and beyond the farm gate. Whether you live in the city or in the country, there is an exciting career to be found in agriculture.

“My AgVenture to date has been spent living in the city, but my connection to agriculture has been constant and enduring, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be working closely with National Farmers’ Federation members right across Australia as we strive towards zero hunger in Australia” says Brianna Casey, CEO Foodbank Australia.

Last month Foodbank revealed in the Foodbank Hunger Report 2021 that one in six Australian adults haven’t had enough to eat in the last year and, even more shockingly, 1.2 million children have gone hungry.

We produce enough food and groceries to feed our population three times over, yet we know there are many people across Australia going without. Foodbank provides an avenue to connect those vulnerable Australians with essential food relief, much of which is donated by Australia’s world class farmers, growers and producers.

This week is a chance for us to highlight the wonderful agri-programs we are fortunate to have, enabling us to produce everyday essentials like sausages and pasta. In a country the size of Australia these programs also couldn’t happen without the support of equipment and transport providers to help us get it to where it is needed the most.

Throughout the week, Foodbank will be highlighting its agri program partners and how their products make a difference to the lives of many in our communities across the country every day.

TRENT’S STORY

Serious illness leaves single dad Trent struggling to feed his young kids.

Single father Trent has three young children under eight to feed: Evie, Finn, and Georgie.

When Trent and his partner separated, they had shared custody of their children. But two years ago, when the kids were no longer safe to stay with their mother, due to her substance abuse and violence, Trent took sole custody.

Raising three kids on your own is never easy, but Trent is also battling a serious illness and struggles to meet the family’s medical costs and living expenses, which continue to rise as the kids get older. He can hardly afford to put food on the table.

“I feel like such a failure. Even though I’m doing everything I can to give my kids the best life possible. But with my disability and being a single dad that relies on government support, it’s honestly tough to make ends meet.” – Trent

Trent loves his kids and is trying his best… but week after week, he’s found it difficult just to afford enough food to put on the table.

trent and his kids at the park

“I’ve had to tighten up the budget, I can’t do it anymore. The kids were used to getting their little treats, but now they get sad because I can’t afford them… They do understand a little bit, though.”

After years of struggling to make ends meet, Trent reached out to one of Foodbank Queensland’s local Member Charities.

“Receiving a Foodbank Hamper is awesome. I was overwhelmed by how much was in them… it made a really good impact in our life.”

Trent now has more energy to play with his kids and can help them learn to enjoy veggies and other nutritious ingredients.

“Because of the hampers, Evie eats her veggies now. I have to mash it all up into a big, mashed pile, like mashed potato and all that, but she eats her vegetables!”

With the certainty of fresh fruit and vegetables and essential groceries in the pantry, Trent can afford to pay for other living expenses and can sometimes buy those little extras that mean so much to Evie, Finn, and Georgie.

“Thanks to Foodbank, I’ve realised it’s okay to ask for help… especially for single mums, single dads, grandparents. There are so many less fortunate people out there, that do need help. Every single little donation to Foodbank all helps out in the end.” – Trent

Trent’s family is just one of many in Queensland struggling to find enough to eat right now.

Your generosity will help families like Trent’s receive the essential groceries they need to get back on their feet.

Every $1 you donate will provide two nutritious meals to a family doing it tough. Thank you for making a difference.

HELP HUNGRY QUEENSLAND FAMILIES LIKE TRENT’S