Community Partner Story

The Y Cannon Hill

The Y Cannon Hill Community Centre’s Wellbeing Wednesday Program recently celebrated 12 months of providing food and connection to those in need, in their local area.

Thanks to the generous contributions of Foodbank donors, The Y Cannon Hill Community Centre, one of Foodbank Queensland’s more than 300 Member Charities, has been able to fill this need and support vulnerable individuals and families in the area.

After two nearby food relief services closed their doors, Wendy, The Y Cannon Hill Community Centre’s Community Development Officer, recognised the need for this service to continue in Cannon Hill.

Every Tuesday, Wendy, and her rotating team of 15 volunteers sort through the donations for the week. Part of the success of the program Wendy attributes to the team of selfless volunteers.

“It takes an army. We have an amazing volunteer team. Wellbeing Wednesday couldn’t run without our volunteers.” – Wendy

Wellbeing Wednesday not only provides food hampers but also clothes, blankets, toiletries, morning tea, a sausage sizzle, employment information and guidance. Orange Sky also offers laundry services to community members. But underlying all of this is a community of individuals supporting one another.

“People make friends with each other coming here, and they’ll give each other lifts home. So, it’s not just coming to the community centre for help, but also to connect.” – Wendy

During the first Wellbeing Wednesday, 12 people came through their doors for support and food relief. Now, on average 50 to 60 individuals are supported by the program each week. At the heart of this program’s success is the stigma-free environment, where all recipients are met with compassion and support.

“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.

“I can’t even say enough how important it is that people support charities like Foodbank. We know firsthand, without charities like Foodbank, people would become homeless or at a higher risk of homelessness than they already are. Hopefully hearing some of these stories helps you understand how appreciated it is and the impact that it has. It is to say that every donation has made a difference to someone. Whether it’s big or small, it’s going a long, long way.” – Wendy

To all of Foodbank Queensland’s wonderful donors, Wendy cannot stress enough the importance and gratitude Wellbeing Wednesday has for your donations. To those who have thought about donating, Wendy wisely reminds us, any of us could find ourselves on the other side of hardship at some point in life.

“I always say, and this includes myself, any of us could be in the situation where we need help. So, if you’ve got the means to be able to support and donate, please do.” – Wendy

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.

Phillip’s Story

Battling Queenslanders like Phillip are doing their very best for their kids but, through no fault of their own, they’re struggling to put food on the table.

Phillip had already been doing it tough, balancing his work as a painter with parenting as a single dad.

Then he was hit by multiple health issues at once. Swollen tendons combined with an excruciating pain in his shoulder that turned out to be a torn rotator cuff, which made it impossible for him to continue working in his painting business.

And even as he was coming to terms with this devastating news, Phillip was confronted with the reality that he wouldn’t be able to work for the foreseeable future, because of long delays for surgery.

Dealt with blow after blow, Phillip is still reeling. His savings have dried up, and despite trying harder and harder to make ends meet for his girls, things have only gotten worse.

“To know you can’t feed your children properly is the most gut-wrenching feeling as a single parent” Phillip says.

And even if he can somehow afford to buy some food, the reality is that Phillip can only stretch his money so far, and he feels it terribly as his girls miss out on so much.

“I can just imagine, you know, them watching their friends, with trendy clothes and some of the things they have, where my kids… I just can’t give that to them.”

Philip lives with his girls in a region still recovering from the horrific 2018 bush fires when COVID-19 knocked the community down again. It took away tourism and so many livelihoods. And the problems that started then have just grown for so many like Philip.

Phillip continues to endure his chronic health conditions that stopped him from working in the first place.

He’s juggling them with trying to be there for his two daughters, as a single dad.

Add to this his mum was just diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer, and will be living out the end of her days in Phillip’s two bedroom unit with him and his girls.

“She wants to come home, so she’s around friends and family. Things are pretty hard at the moment. I’m sleeping on the lounge.”

Thankfully, Phillip’s been getting help from Foodbank, which has made an enormous difference to his life as well as that of Carly and Indy.

Phillip especially loves how much fresh produce he receives, as he tries his best to ensure the girls are eating healthy food and growing strong.

“My girls they get excited every time a hamper turns up here. My little one, she lays it all out and she’s all “Oh look what we got, Dad!”

“Yeah, I skip meals to feed the girls, definitely. I don’t even really think about it. If there’s something, the girls get it.”

Phillip’s so proud of how Carlie and Indy are handling what’s happened to their family. “The two girls are my world. I can’t explain it. They are everything to me. Everything … They’ve seen what’s been happening with me and they do understand,” he shares.

Phillip’s youngest daughter Indy is just eight years old. She watches her dad struggle to decide between paying the bills and putting food on the table. No child should experience these agonising decisions. Hunger affects everyone in the family, physically and emotionally. Hunger affects everyone in the family, physically and emotionally. “The girls know what the situation is. But sometimes at the shop, Indy will ask for a lolly. Kids at that age do that. I try.”

Phillip held back tears when he shared how it makes him feel when he receives support from Foodbank:

“If you’re in the position where you can give to people like me, we are just, you know, really thankful for that. I’m just really, really thankful.”

Your compassion will provide fresh, nutritious meals to struggling families like Phillip’s!

Food insecurity grows due to cost-of-living crisis

3.7 million households experienced food insecurity in Australia in the past year, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023, released today.

The report, now in its 12th year, uncovered that 23% of Queensland households are actively going hungry, reducing their food intake, skipping meals or going entire days without eating. That’s 1 in 5 Queensland households – double the number of households in the Gold Coast.

Foodbank Queensland says the research highlights one glaringly obvious cause why so many households are experiencing food insecurity: the cost-of-living crisis.

The report confirms the face of hunger is changing. Over half of the households in Queensland experiencing food insecurity have someone in paid work (55%). Regional Queensland has been hit hardest, with rising food and grocery costs impacting 80% of food-insecure households in regional and remote communities.

More than 1 in 3 Queensland households who need help, aren’t seeking help, because they are either too embarrassed to reach out or believe others must be in greater need of assistance. Foodbank Queensland CEO, Jess Watkinson, says the cost of the most basic of rights – food and shelter, is now the most common cause of food insecurity in Australia.

“The number one reason households in Australia struggle to meet their food needs is the cost-of-living crisis. We have all felt the impact of increased mortgage repayments and rent, and rising food, fuel, and home energy costs.”

“We know that our country produces enough food to feed our population three times over – and Queensland provides one third of that produce. We must do better to ensure nutritious, culturally appropriate food reaches the dinner tables of everyone in our state.”

Foodbank Queensland is collaborating with other key members of the food relief sector in Queensland and advocating to the Queensland Government to use the Foodbank Hunger Report 2023 as a reference point to work with the sector to ensure that all Queenslanders have access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

Major Charity Partnership Formed To Help Support Queenslanders In Need

Sunshine Coast based Go Transit Media Group, has today announced a corporate partnership with Foodbank Queensland which will help promote awareness and provide essential support to more than 150,000 families in need each week. As Queensland’s largest hunger relief organisation, Foodbank Queensland supports hundreds of frontline charities across the state to get fresh food onto tables.

As part of its ongoing corporate social responsibility commitment, Go Transit assists a broad and diverse cross-section of community, youth, health, and sporting organisations across its 400 regional markets every year. These include: Sleepbus, Give Me Five For Kids, Dollys Dream, RSL Australia, National Missing Persons Week, Cindy Mackenzie Breast Cancer Program and many more.

“In addition to this, we want to build a more meaningful contribution – particularly as the rising cost of living pushes up food insecurity and exposes more and more vulnerable Australians. We are proud to really get behind the hard-working team at Foodbank Queensland to make a positive difference”, said Andrea Coles, Go Transits Executive General Manager.

The new partnership includes an annual transit media plan, financial support through fundraising, social media campaigns and hands-on staff contributions. “We want to see our whole team involved in supporting this important cause in a very practical and genuine way. As part of this we will be providing some additional incentives for everyone to get involved”, Ms Coles said.

To kick things off, Go Transit are promoting Foodbank Queensland’s spring appeal on 25 buses across Queensland. Support like this benefits over 300 member charities who rely heavily on Foodbank Queensland to provide them with assistance. One of these member charities is Gateway Care, a Caloundra based community resource center. Gateway Care services demand across the wider Sunshine Coast region, as well as Caboolture and Gympie. It currently supports over 1000 families in need each week.

Tom Lew, Managing Director of Gateway Care, said that the operation was modelled on a social enterprise system which would mean that it was 80 percent self-sustaining, being able to sell food and other necessary household items at an affordable cost to those on compromised incomes or within the welfare system, leaving 20 percent repurposed so that essential items, including food, can be provided as a donation to those in crisis. “This includes people who are facing domestic violence, people who have lost their homes, people who through whatever circumstances, have nothing. It is very important that we can assist these people when they need it most”, Mr Lew said.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Go Transit Media Group and value their support in providing transit media opportunities, financial contributions and social media promotion,” said Jess Watkinson, CEO Foodbank Queensland.

“This partnership will ensure that we are able to continue to provide food and groceries to more than 300 frontline charities and 300 school breakfast programs each year to make sure no Queenslander experiences hunger, and help us to engage further support to increase our provision of food.”

Community Partner Story New Hope House

Since 1985, Teen Challenge’s New Hope House, formerly Hebron House, in Kelvin Grove has been providing homeless young men, between the ages of 16-25, with crisis accommodation. Up to seven residents can live at New Hope House for three months at a time.

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.

This partnership assists New Hope House in providing easy and nutritious meals to their residents, such as the house favourite FareShare meals; collected from Foodbank’s Food Distribution Centre.

As part of improving the residents’ living skills, each week, Daniel puts together a menu of weekly dinners which each resident will be assigned to cook. These simple meals include food collected from Foodbank.

“We have a really good space here to teach them to cook once a week. At the moment, it’s with the youth worker, teaching them to use gloves, hygiene and to wash their hands. And in here, we see the guys that are passionate about cooking and then we start asking… well, have you thought about a career?” – Tim

The residents’ weekly cooking night has also allowed some residents the opportunity to share their culture. This has seen the New Hope House dining table filled with a mix of cuisines from African to Middle Eastern dishes.

Any ingredients left over, or which they have excess of, are donated to a nearby church who distributes them to people who are homeless. On these days, the New Hope House residents will pack the food and assist in distributing the hampers to local shelters.

The partnership with Foodbank helps New Hope House to source quality food at a discounted rate, which allows them to deliver more programs and services.

“It’s really helped our budget, so we can spend it on other programs other than just food. So, these meals and food have helped our budget.”– Tim

In the last 6 months, next door to New Hope House, they’ve begun operating a transitional house. The purpose of this house is to provide ex-residents the opportunity to step out on their own, while still having the support network that New Hope House offers. Those ex-residents who step out on their own completely are also provided with a food hamper to assist them with their transition.

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.

Meet Foodbank Food Donors: Kalfresh, Mulgowie & Windolf, Gatton & the Scenic Rim

Foodbank Queensland recently had the pleasure of visiting some of our dedicated food donors in Gatton and the Scenic Rim. We were grateful to visit three of our regular farm donors; Kalfresh Vegetables, Windolf Farms and Mulgowie Farming Company.

At each farm, Foodbank Queensland representatives had the opportunity to learn more about the picking and packing process, the supply chain we’ve built to move rescued produce from farms to Foodbank’s Distribution Center, and why these farms donate to Foodbank Queensland.

Our relationships with these farmers allows us to not only provide struggling Queenslanders with much needed fresh produce, but also helps to reduce waste across the state.

Kalfresh Vegetables

Kalfresh has been dedicated to donating fresh produce to Foodbank Queensland for over 10 years. Established in 1992, Kalfresh now operates with more than 4000 acres under crop in nine growing regions – Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Southern Downs and Bowen.

Kalfresh sources produce from its own farms and from a group of local farming families with direct supply agreements. This allows Kalfresh to produce a 12-month supply.

At Foodbank Queensland, our most donated produce from Kalfresh includes carrots, beans, watermelons, pumpkins and corn. When asked why Kalfresh donates to Foodbank, Kalfresh’s Agricultural Director, Craig said:

“We started donating to Foodbank as Foodbank was a charity that’s got a lot of impact. They take good volumes of produce off us and we put a lot of effort into growing food so the last thing we want is to see food wasted.”

Kalfresh’s commitment to reducing waste, while helping Queenslanders in need is a testament to their dedication towards creating sustainability in the farming industry.

Windolf

Windolf Farms has been operating for over 20 years and is a family owned and operated business located in the Upper Tenthill area near Gatton, Queensland. With farms located in Upper Tenthill, Tenthill, Gatton and Clifton, Windolf Farms supplies Foodbank Queensland with various produce including potatoes, broccoli, parsnips, pumpkins, and watermelons.

For over 10 years, Windolf Farms have committed to donating to Foodbank Queensland. During this time, despite facing devasting floods in 2022, they have continued to support Foodbank. Sharron Windolf explained Windolf Farms commitment to their partnership with Foodbank Queensland:

“Windolf Farms supports Foodbank when it can to supply fresh produce and believes in the importance of giving back. The reason for supply to Foodbank can vary, however for produce to be used to help those in need is a fantastic avenue.”

The team at Windolf Farms also kindly transport all their donations to the Foodbank Food Distribution Centre using their own trucks. Their dedicated unloaders also graciously volunteer their time to unload the products free of charge, demonstrating their commitment to giving back to the community.

Mulgowie Farming Company

Mulgowie Farming Company is an Australian owned and operated family company, located in the Lockyer Valley region. Over the last 10 years, Mulgowie has been generously donating to Foodbank Queensland. Site manager, Darren, explained why some produce may not make it to grocery shelves:

“We donate to Foodbank for a couple of reasons, the main one is to repurpose our downgraded or imperfect produce. It’s still 100% edible. 100% fantastic. But doesn’t quite meet our giant supermarket specs so instead of it going to waste we donate it to Foodbank.”

The main produce Foodbank Queensland receives from Mulgowie includes sweet corn and green beans. As part of their mission to care for the world we live in, Mulgowie focuses heavily on increasing sustainability as part of their farming efforts. This includes regular donations to Foodbank.

Altogether, these three farms have donated enough fruit and vegetables to create almost 400,000 meals for Queenslanders in need in the last year alone. That’s over 15 Olympic swimming pools of water conserved!

In heartfelt appreciation, Foodbank Queensland’s Food Supply Manager, shares these words of gratitude for the profound impact all three of these farms have made over the past decade.

“Foodbank Queensland would like to say thank you to Kalfresh Vegetables, Windolf Farms and Mulgowie Farming Company, for the support you have all given to us over the past decade to help our Member Charities and everyday Queenslanders” – Foodbank Queensland’s Food Supply Manager

Each farms’ unwavering support means that struggling Queenslanders across the state have access to fresh fruit and vegetables. We are so thankful for our produce donors and their commitment to reducing food wastage.

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

A Truck Load Of Support Grows Access To Food Donations In Queensland

Queensland’s frontline charities will soon have access to hundreds of tonnes of additional fruit and vegetables to provide to needy families thanks to a fitted out truck donated to Foodbank Queensland.

The truck has been donated by Alliance Airlines to help increase the rescue of food at risk of going to waste and fast track its distribution to more than 300 frontline charities and 300 school breakfast programs throughout the state. It is the fifth truck in the Foodbank Queensland fleet and will grow its capacity to collect food for frontline charities by 20 per cent.

The need for extra food is so strong that the refrigerated truck will be on the road up to seven hours each day and is expected to travel about 800 kilometres every week carrying 28 pallets of donated food per trip.

The generous support from Alliance Airlines will change lives right across the State.

“Every hour Foodbank Queensland provides 3,000 meals to people in need in Queensland. This supports 150,000 Queenslanders each week, but sadly the demand still outweighs supply,” said Jess Watkinson CEO Foodbank Queensland.

“We have a big state and a lot of agriculture, but sadly, sometimes the crops just don’t get to market. With this truck we will have the capacity to rescue a lot of that produce and put it in the hands of the frontline charities that can distribute it, and that makes a huge difference.”

Through Foodbank Queensland’s work with Queensland farmers and hundreds of food and grocery companies, its trucks are used to also rescue produce and good quality packaged and tinned foods and deliver them where they can be distributed.

Scott McMillan, Managing Director of Alliance Airlines, said the airline travels to remote areas of Australia and sees firsthand the need for assistance by families in regional and remote areas, as well as capital cities.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Foodbank Queensland, as the state’s largest and most trusted hunger relief charity,” says Scott McMillan.

“We look forward to supporting Foodbank Queensland in the fight against hunger and to help make an impact to the lives of many Queenslanders.”

Mitch’s Story

“I don’t know how I’ll get through the next few months…” – Mitch*, single father of three.

Despite never having the support and resources needed, Mitch created a happy home for his three children. When adversity recently returned, it put food out of reach for his family.

Mitch’s childhood was marked by family breakdowns. Raised by his father who remarried many times, Mitch moved from town to town and was placed in foster care at 12. Life was looking up when he married and had three children. After his relationship broke down, Mitch became the primary carer for his children. With Mitch and his children all on the autism spectrum, life is often overwhelming and stressful. Unable to work due to his disability, they struggle on a small pension.

“Finding money to support them is hard, I don’t want my children to ever miss out.” – Mitch.

Mitch is a loving father who is worried about providing regular, healthy meals amidst soaring living costs.

“When we haven’t had enough to eat, it weighs me down. I have to pull together whatever meals I can, like beans on toast.” – Mitch

“School lunches are very stressful, paying for all the fruit and snacks. It’s also the meat and vegetables that have become too expensive… the things that are still cheap are the junk foods.” – Mitch

Generous supporters like you changed everything for Mitch. He found help at a Foodbank Member Charity where he receives nutritious meals for his family. “They do dinners like spaghetti, macaroni, vegetarian, and it puts me at ease. I can focus on being a good Dad.” – Mitch

Mitch now volunteers at the Foodbank Member Charity, helping others access food relief. Having autism has created barriers to employment, but volunteering makes him feel loved, like he’s making a difference. “They make me feel special.” – Mitch

Without Foodbank’s Member Charity, Mitch doesn’t know where he would be. Your support has been a vital lifeline, providing nourishment to families like Mitch’s who are facing hunger and hardship in our Queensland communities.

*Name has been changed to protect privacy

Community Partner Story Urban Angels Community Kitchen

“I always say we create all this food. But really the food is just a tool for us to create a sense of community and a sense of belonging for all of our service users as well as our volunteers. It’s so important to them, each and every one of them.” – Birgit

From a young age, Birgit has understood how food has the power to connect people during difficult times. After losing her mother at 9, Birgit’s father – who had little experience with cooking – struggled to provide meals for his 5 children. Birgit says she will never forget the sad look on her father’s face, as he pushed around tinned sausages on his plate.

To help her family, Birgit stepped up and began cooking for her father and her four siblings. From her cooking, she learnt that food makes people happy and offers an opportunity for connection. Just like it did with her family. This is something that has become a common thread throughout Birgit’s life.

“I understood very early on the importance of tasty food to make people happy”. – Birgit

After seeing an increased need for food assistance in the local community, Birgit began cooking in her own kitchen. Soon, other mothers began to help too. As word spread and need increased, they quickly outgrew the space. Turning to her children’s school for help, a once per term meal preparation group began in the school kitchen. The volunteers began cooking around 50 meals per session but unexpectantly were quickly cooking an exceptional 450 meals per session.

IFYS, a local family and youth support service, recognised the remarkable efforts of Birgit, who not only provided food but also fostered a sense of community among her service users. As a result, IFYS brought Birgit’s program into their services in 2016 and so Urban Angels was officially born.

Urban Angels is now one of Foodbank Queensland’s more than 300 Member Charities providing vital food relief to local struggling families and individuals. In their Maroochydore, purpose-built, commercial kitchen, generously donated by a selfless supporter, Birgit and the rotating 160 volunteers cook hundreds of ready-to-eat meals every day. These meals support vulnerable residents at the IFYS Housing Pathways Programs, Caravan Park and Aged Care Home residents, schools, and individuals across the Sunshine Coast. But in the last year, the need for their services has more than doubled.

“The increase in demand is just unbelievable. I’d say it must be 70%. We’re seeing people who have never had to reach out to a charity before and are so ashamed to have to.”– Birgit

As more and more individuals look for support, the Urban Angels team are working to create a safe and inclusive environment where no stigma or embarrassment is attached in reaching out to their services.

“There was a young woman who came in here with her mother, just last week. She was so embarrassed. She started crying when she came here, it was her first time. And I said, ’You know what, there are so many people who need help, that everybody needs help at some stage in their lives.’” – Birgit

Connecting with local individuals and families in need is an important pillar of the program that Urban Angels works hard to achieve. Together with the volunteers, Birgit continues to create a sense of community through the connection of food, encouraging those volunteers who deliver food, to stop, connect, and talk to those in the community most in need.

“What we are doing here is creating community for the people that we visit.” – Birgit

With the increasing cost-of-living affecting so many in her community, Birgit said she is grateful for Foodbank’s support.

“I don’t know where the world would be without Foodbank and other food donation charities. I just think the world would stop without organisations like Foodbank rescuing food. It is so important because there’s so much waste. I just think it’s critical.”- Birgit

Without your generous support of Foodbank, charities like Urban Angels would not be able to operate and feed those most in need. Birgit’s story is an example of how your donations can positively impact local communities throughout Queensland.

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.

Community Partner Story Tracey’s Pantry

After Judy tragically lost her daughter Tracey, aged only 57, to cancer the loving mum had a deep desire to do something good for the Beaudesert community to keep Tracey’s memory alive.

“Tracey loved cooking and she loved giving things to people, so after she died, I donated her freezer to Scenic Rim Uniting Church to store food supplies for those in need. I told the church: ‘It’d be great if we could keep the freezer full of food in case people come to the church hungry’. It was a lovely way to remember Tracey… because she did so much for people in her life.” – Judy

Picture: Tracey, Judy’s Daughter.

Picture: Judy, the founder of Tracey’s Pantry.

Four years on, Tracey’s remarkable legacy of kindness and generosity is clear for all to see. What started as a small, unassuming food outreach at the church has evolved into a thriving weekly pantry and community hub, voluntarily coordinated by Judy herself. And the name? Tracey’s Pantry – a fitting tribute to one taken too soon.

Tracey’s Pantry is one of Foodbank Queensland’s 350 Member Charities providing vital food relief to local struggling families. At Tracey’s Pantry, the essential food items that are made available, thanks to Foodbank supporters, have helped prevent many adults and children from going hungry. In the last year alone, Tracey’s Pantry has fed 2,000 members of the community.

As the cost-of-living crisis intensifies, staples like cereal and pasta along with fruit, vegetables, milk, tea and bread, are lovingly packed by volunteers into emergency food hampers. These go to those struggling the most, including the homeless, unemployed and families and pensioners doing it tough.

For Judy and the team, it brings a deep satisfaction to help the vulnerable in their community, giving them the chance to eat reliable, nutritious meals. But in the past year they’ve been increasingly concerned that rising food costs are overwhelming so many Beaudesert locals.

“This year it’s getting a lot worse. Rentals are very hard to come by and a lot of people who come to us for food are living rough. They sleep in their cars with their children as well. They take the children down and give them a shower at the local park or something, put them into their pyjamas, and then stay all night in the car.” – Judy

One client of Tracey’s Pantry, who Judy won’t forget, is the single dad who could only get part-time work and was struggling to support his young family on the small wage. He said to Judy: ‘It’s not enough money to feed and clothe my two growing children’. He’d come to Tracey’s Pantry often and say, ‘Look, I’m sorry, mate, I just haven’t got the money for food’. He was just so desperate and upset, he could hardly talk.

For many who show up hungry, asking for help is something they never imagined having to do.

“Some people stand back a little bit and they’re ashamed. A volunteer in our team will go to them and ask how we can help. We normally ask a small fee of $10 for a hamper to cover overheads, but sometimes they haven’t got the money to pay for it, and I say; ‘That’s all right, we’ll give it to you’. And they say, ‘Really?’ They can’t believe it.” – Judy

Judy is so grateful for the generous support of Foodbank donors, especially when most supporters are feeling the pinch too. She just wants people to know that every dollar is making a difference.

“We wouldn’t be here without Foodbank’s support; Tracey’s Pantry just couldn’t survive. My daughter Tracey would love seeing us all come together to help the Beaudesert community. I’m sure she’s smiling down from above.” – Judy

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.