Bundaberg farmers help to provide 2.8 million meals to Queenslanders in need

Foodbank Queensland recently had the pleasure of visiting our wonderful food donors in Bundaberg.

In the Bundaberg region, Foodbank Queensland has 16 generous food donors who donate a large variety of fruit and vegetables, including sweet potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum, corn, beans, chilli and citrus fruits to help Queenslanders experiencing hunger.

In the last year, the Bundaberg community donated enough food to provide more than 2.8 million nutritious meals to Queenslanders going hungry. With many farmers across Queensland having been impacted by the events of last year, including drought, bushfires and COVID-19, this is an incredibly generous donation that has gone a long way to helping Queenslanders in crisis.

During our visit, we had the pleasure of meeting Robert Doyle and Patricia Fordin from Australia’s largest producer of sweet potatoes, Sweet Potatoes Australia.

The team at Sweet Potatoes Australia have been donating to Foodbank Queensland since 2016, and said by donating produce to Foodbank Queensland, they strive to be leaders in the farming industry, helping to protect the environment, improving farm presentation and giving back to the community.

“Thanks to Foodbank Queensland, we are able to redistribute food that may have otherwise gone to waste to help people in need,” said Robert Doyle, Sales Manager at Sweet Potatoes Australia.

On our trip to Bundaberg, we also met AustChilli, Abbotsleigh Farms, Pritchard Farms, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers.

Our wonderful food donors help us ensure that our shelves are never empty, and our Member Charities can continue distributing food across Queensland to those who need it most. A big thank you to all of our food donors for your continued generosity.

If you’re in the food industry and are interested in becoming a food donor, please click here.

“When my baby and I had nothing, a Foodbank hamper was the ultimate relief.”

It should have been the happiest of times, but instead Nicole found herself couch surfing with her three-month-old daughter and relying on extended family for enough to eat.

When Nicole’s baby Bella, was just three months old, the terrified first-time mum, 24, had to quickly escape her home on Brisbane’s outskirts. The Wakka Wakka and Kamilaroi woman had been living with her mum and partner, when he became abusive. Nicole and baby Bella were given crisis accommodation for two nights, but then found themselves sleeping on the sofas of cousins and aunties. It was heartbreaking and terrifying to be homeless, made worse because Nicole could not afford food.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more depressed and anxious than I was then. I had no money, and I was eating my relatives’ food, so I felt really bad about that. I wasn’t able to contribute much financially. Whatever money I had went towards making sure Bella had all her necessities.” – Nicole

Respite came when Nicole found permanent accommodation, a two-bedroom unit in Ipswich where she could create a safe, secure life for Bella. But it was short lived, as she now had to start from scratch and scrape together money for furniture and all life’s essentials. In desperation, she rang the support worker who ran her mums and bubs group.

“I was on the phone crying to her saying ‘I’ve just moved into this place and I’ve got no food – I’ve got nothing.’” – Nicole

Thanks to supporters like you, Nicole didn’t have to go hungry. “My support worker said: ‘We’ve just been to Foodbank, and we’ve got all the food here. I’m going to give you a couple of bags’. I was able to fill my pantry that day – it was amazing really.” – Nicole

As Nicole began to rebuild her life, there were other times a Foodbank hamper meant she didn’t have to miss meals because of a big electricity bill or car registration. It brought such comfort to be given staples like rice, tinned food, soups, sausages and mince, and even baby formula for Bella.

“Ever since I became a mum, it isn’t about me anymore – I have to put Bella’s needs first and make sure she has what she needs. I don’t ever want my daughter to struggle with food the way I’ve struggled.”

Bella is now 18 months old, and Nicole’s life is much happier. She loves playing with her little girl and plans to return to university to finish her midwifery studies soon. With her friends from her mums and bubs group, she has learnt to prepare healthy meals for Bella. She no longer struggles to provide for her little girl.

“I’m so grateful that I don’t have to wonder what Bella and I are going to eat tonight or how we are going to cope next week without food. I’m just so happy Foodbank exists. Thank you to Foodbank for giving me the opportunity to put a meal on the table each night.” – Nicole

Estimates suggest that between 22% and 32% of Indigenous people are food insecure, with those people living in remote areas most likely to go hungry. Foodbank delivers hampers to remote communities and has strong partnerships with charities dedicated to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities – and this is only possible thanks to you.

Every $1 you donate will provide two nutritious meals to someone facing hunger like Nicole. 

Foodbank Queensland and Sunny Queen Australia team up to put a smile on little faces this Easter

To help make Easter egg-stra special this year, Foodbank Queensland partnered with Sunny Queen Australia to distribute more than 600 dozen eggs and simple-to-create Easter activities to families in need.

Fifty food relief charities across South East Queensland received Sunny Queen’s Free Range smiley faced eggs and Easter activities via Foodbank’s Food Distribution Centre to help hundreds of struggling families enjoy the simple, sunny pleasures of eating, playing and creating together.

Foodbank Queensland CEO, Sara Harrup, said Sunny Queen Australia’s generous donation helped bring joy to families in need.

“For families struggling to put food on the table, Easter can be a challenging and isolating time,” she said.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Sunny Queen Australia to help make Easter brighter for Queensland families going without.”

The donation has helped families like Angela’s from Sunnybank who have faced hard times due to the pandemic.

“These eggs are going to help us put food on the table, even if it means toast and eggs for a meal,” she said.

“We are struggling so much with my partner out of work and still trying to find work after the COVID-19 period. Being able to pick up some food to get us through with five kids in the house has been a massive help. Even just scrambled eggs on toast. It’s a meal that our kids wouldn’t turn down.”

Foodbank’s Member Charities were grateful for the donation with Stewart King, Food Recovery Coordinator at Loaves and Fishes, speaking to the act of generosity.

“We are so grateful to Foodbank Queensland and Sunny Queen Australia for providing fresh eggs and Easter activities for our families doing it tough,” he said.

“Our families were so thankful when they received the eggs and Easter craft activities. These simple acts of kind-heartedness really make a difference for people facing hardship.”

General Manager of Marketing and Innovation at Sunny Queen, Isabelle Dench, spoke of Sunny Queen’s passion for supporting Aussies all year around – especially during festive seasons.

“Easter is a time for everyone to be together, enjoying a spread of good, delicious food and each other’s company. It’s also a great opportunity to spend time with our family and friends and have fun all together. Crafting cute little chickens or bunnies using our egg packs is just another way to enjoy precious moments with our little ones,” Isabelle said.

“At Sunny Queen, we are big believers that small acts of kindness can make a big difference. We hope our small gesture of donating our smiley-faced eggs and some cute and easy-to-make craft ideas can help make Queenslanders smile during Easter.”

“Through its charitable partnership with Foodbank, which spans many years of egg and egg product donations and most recently a refrigerated truck to support deliveries, Sunny Queen is proud to continue its vision of helping drive an end to hunger for all Aussies.”

Thank you, Sunny Queen Australia, for your very generous donation and for making a positive difference in local communities this Easter.

Heart of Love Foundation provides vital support to Queenslanders in crisis

Heart of Love Foundation is one of Foodbank Queensland’s Member Charities providing vital support to Queenslanders experiencing hunger. The foundation works closely with school breakfast programs, the homeless community, and families living at a local Brisbane caravan park, who often find themselves facing hardship after a job loss or health issue.

Sunil Naidu, Director of Heart of Love Foundation, said with the food provided by Foodbank, Heart of Love Foundation’s volunteers were able to prepare nutritious meals and food relief hampers and distribute them to more than 450 Queenslanders in need every week.

“We provide fresh meals daily to the needy in Brisbane city, who due to financial, health or family-related reasons cannot afford or source meals to feed themselves and their families. We also pack food hampers and deliver them to families in need across Queensland,” Sunil said.

“COVID-19 has increased the need for food, with many families facing poverty due to unemployment and increased health needs. Heart of Love Foundation, therefore, has increased service by frequently sourcing food from Foodbank to keep up with the increasing demands,” he said.

Last month, approximately 560 nutritious salad wraps were made and delivered in Brisbane city, 178 home cooked meals were provided in the Ipswich community, and 120 fresh meals were provided to residents of a caravan park in North Brisbane.

“The frequent food hampers and home-cooked meals we offer provide vital support to many, including a single dad from Brisbane who is wheelchair bound with four young children under 15 years. His wife passed away, so he is in dire need and his youngest son needs a hearing aid which he is saving for. The food hampers are welcomed by him every week.”

“We have a homeless man in Brisbane city who comes to help us distribute food and drinks every morning. He loves to help and it is great to see him smiling,” Sunil said.

Mr Naidu said he was very grateful for Foodbank’s ongoing support which helps them to alleviate hunger for many families in Queensland.

“We have been receiving food from Foodbank for the past two years and would not have been able to help families in need and the homeless without this support. There are times when we have bought food, with individuals supporting from their own pockets when immediate need has risen. But now with full support from Foodbank Queensland, we can supply food regularly to families in need,” Sunil said.

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.