Community Partner Story – Open Hands Community Care

Open Hands Community Care’s Neighbourhood Marketplace began in 2020 as a family-led initiative with a simple but powerful mission: to provide affordable groceries and a sense of community to those in need. Today, they serve over 650 households a week, offering a welcoming space where people can access essential food items, support and connection.  

Their pantry, open Tuesday to Saturday, is stocked with pantry staples, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, bakery items and more. Families travel from the Gold Coast and beyond, drawn by the affordable prices – 50 to 70% off retail – but more than that, the warmth of the people behind the counter. Sherifaye, Managing Director of Open Hands Community Care shares “families are always looking for vegetables, bread and milk,” staples they always try to stock for the community. Most find Open Hands Community Care through word of mouth, a testament to the trust and appreciation they have built within the community. 

Open Hands Community Care has become a lifeline for many, Managing Director, Operations and Finance, Sherifaye, with the support of her family and Mum and Dad (Founders, who personally pick up the fresh produce from Foodbank Queensland!), work to personally connect with their community. The families and individuals they serve are diverse – migrants, refugees, elderly individuals, those with disabilities and even dual-income households facing financial hardship for the first time. 

“We have also got two income households also receiving support now. They are experiencing hardship for the first time, thinking, what do we do?” says Sherifaye. They have created a welcoming space where support can be accessed by anyone facing hardships. They are intentional about meeting the needs of their multicultural community, working with local grocers to stock culturally important foods such as cassava and taro. 

When recent severe weather impacted the community, Open Hands Community Care stepped up, packing 500 hampers with support and funding from the Lord Mayor, highlighting their personal approach to helping families in their local area. “Everyone needs a hand up at some point in time,” says Sherifaye. “As long as you need help, we are here to help.”  

Recognising the growing need for connection, Open Hands Community Care also hosts a weekly Hug-A-Mug Morning Tea every Friday from 10am to 12pm. They set up tables and chairs, creating a space for people to share stories and form friendships. 

“We noticed that most elderly people that come through, this is their connection. When they come through, they are talking and telling you about their week, their month. And we thought, let’s sit and actually share and have that connection,” Sherifaye explains. 

Beyond providing food relief, Open Hands Community Care fosters a sense of belonging. One such story is of volunteers Barbra and Skip. “They live in the area and accessed our pantry for the first time in October 2021, but Skip is visually impaired, so he’d never come out of the car. And then one day we struck a connection to get him out of the car, and then he started navigating his way around. A month later, he said ’I want to volunteer and 3 and a half years later, they’re still with us.’” 

Open Hands Community Care envisions an even bigger impact, with plans to expand into a community hub with access to further resources. They already host events every few months to bring families together and strengthen the support networks they have built.  

The impact of their work is reflected in the gratitude of those they help. Community members come through and share with the Open Hands Community Care family, “We were down, you guys helped us with food and support, thank you,” Sherifaye shares. “It is knowing there is someone here to listen, to lend a hand.” 

For those seeking a helping hand or a place to belong, Open Hands Community Care stands ready. As Sherifaye warmly invites, “come on through, we are open for everyone.” 

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.