Hunger in Queensland

Hunger in Queensland

  • Close to 400,000 households experienced severe food insecurity in the last 12 months
  • Close to 700,000 households experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months
  • 44% of Australia’s low-income households (earning less than $30,000 per year) are experiencing food insecurity.
  • Food insecurity is being felt more acutely in the regions (36%) compared to metropolitan areas (28%).
  • Food relief support from family and friends has dropped to 23% in 2024, compared to 27% in 2023.
  • Food insecure households increased in their awareness of where to seek food relief support to 47% in 2024 (vs 36% in 2023).
  • In 2024, 50% of severely food insecure households had adults not eating for whole days because they can’t afford food.
  • 32% of all Queensland households are experiencing food insecurity.

Explore the facts of food insecurity in Australia

Research and Reports

We are Australia’s definitive source of information on food insecurity and food relief. We publish several reports throughout the year, all of which can be accessed here.

Go to Research & Reports
Foodbank Hunger Report 2024

Now in its 11th year, the report reveals the widening gap between those managing to adapt to rising costs and those being left behind.

Read the Report
Foodbank Hunger Map

This groundbreaking tool provides a detailed snapshot of food insecurity across Australia, offering unparalleled insights into the depth and scale of the challenge.

Read More
Food waste in Australia

Ending food waste plays a big role in ending hunger, and everyone has a part to play; from production, right through to the way that we as consumers choose to shop.

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PRIVACY

Protecting your privacy is of paramount importance to us. We value the privacy of all our stakeholders as well as the communities we serve.

If you’d like to learn more about the privacy policy in your state please select it below:

Foodbank Queensland collects your personal information in order to provide you information in respect of its charitable objectives, and, unless you opt-out or unsubscribe, may contact you in the future with information and provide you with donation information via any medium. Occasionally we allow like-minded organisations to contact you with information that may be of interest to you. Those organisations allow us to do the same and this way we can reach more people with vital information. Please advise us if you do not want to receive communications from other organisations.  Failure to provide personal information may result in Foodbank Queensland being unable to provide you with certain information and offers.

Our Privacy Policy contains information about:
(i) how you can access and correct your personal information;
(ii) how you can lodge a complaint regarding the handling of your personal information; and
(iii) how any complaint will be handled by Foodbank Queensland.

You may contact us for a copy of our privacy policy or for any queries you may have via email: admin@foodbankqld.org.au or mail: 179 Beverley Street, Morningside, QLD 4170 or telephone: 07 3395 8422.

Partner with Foodbank Queensland

We rely on our friends

Foodbank Queensland relies on good friends for many of the services that help to keep the doors open from freight and equipment, to strategic planning and marketing.

As a not-for-profit organisation, our pro-bono supporters make an incredible difference. Through collaboration, we continue to expand our services and impact across the state.

To find out how you can partner with us please contact our partnerships team today.

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Sam Gallagher
QUEENSLAND PARTNERSHIPS

Development Manager – Foodbank Queensland

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FOR QUEENSLAND PARTNERSHIP ENQUIRIES

Sam Gallagher

07 3435 5921

samantha@foodbankqld.org.au


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Carolyn Gibbs
QUEENSLAND PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships and Grants Manager – Foodbank Queensland

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FOR QUEENSLAND PARTNERSHIP ENQUIRIES

Carolyn Gibbs

07 3435 5921

carolyn.g@foodbankqld.org.au


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Brendon Smyth
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

General Manager – National Partnerships, Foodbank Australia

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FOR NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP ENQUIRIES

Brendon Smyth

P: 0421670515

E: brendon@foodbank.org.au 

 


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Foodbank’s Corporate Partnerships are built around a customised package aligned with your company’s mission and objectives to give back to the community.

If you’d like to find out more about becoming a partner of Foodbank, register your interest below. 

Our state partners

We couldn’t help everyone without the help of our generous financial and in-kind supporters


Join the team

Want to work at Foodbank Queensland?

We currently have several volunteer opportunities, visit our volunteering page to find out more and to apply.

Join Foodbank Queensland in our fight against hunger – you can explore current opportunities on Seek. 

View jobs available

Supporting 

Hungry Queenslanders 

In need of food?

Foodbank Queensland is the largest supplier of food relief, providing food directly to frontline charities across the state. If you or your family are in need of food, please click here to visit our Find Food page. This will help you find local food support near you.

Hunger In Queensland

At Foodbank, we believe everyone should have access to food. But, right now, 1 in 5 Queensland households are going hungry. That’s 400,000 Queensland households who are skipping meals or not eating for days to get by. Shockingly, 1 in 5 Queensland households experiencing hunger have dependent children in the home. With cost of living pressures impacting so many people in our community, families are being forced to choose between keeping a roof over their heads, paying essential bills, and putting food on the table.

As the state’s largest hunger relief charity, we collaborate with 350 Community Partners and 430 Schools to ensure food reaches those who need it most. Together, we support 135,000 Queenslanders in crisis each week and provide breakfast to 52,000 children each school week.

Real Stories of Hunger

Flood damage left Andrea with no home and no food for her children

When devastating floods hit her hometown, it was yet another blow for Andrea* and her children. They lost everything due to the flood damage – Andrea’s family home was destroyed, and all their food and belongings were ruined. As a young single mum, Andrea didn’t know how she would feed her children. Then Andrea received food relief at a local Foodbank Member Charity, where they provided cooked meals and were delivering crisis hampers and frozen meals to the community.

“I’d lost everything, and I felt scared and afraid… I really thought I was going to die. I’ve gone hungry before in my life, so not being able to afford food for my family was very traumatising.”
– Andrea

Mitch and his family need your help

Meet Mitch and his family, who are courageously facing a daily battle amid the cost of living crisis. His story sheds light on the stark reality that so many Queensland families are enduring, silently struggling to put food on the table. Mitch is a great Dad; all he wants is a better future for his kids, but being on the autism spectrum, with three autistic children, the financial strain and limited access to food has taken a toll. When Mitch needed help, he reached out to a Foodbank Member Charity; a place he could access nutritious meals for his children.

“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

Help a Mum Like Amanda Put Food on the Table

After escaping domestic violence and facing housing insecurity, Amanda is now struggling with the rising cost of living. She does everything she can to care for her two young daughters, but each week she is forced to make heartbreaking choices about what food she can afford.

“There are times we’ve left with only half the groceries we need. Shopping becomes a game – trying to spot the reduced stickers, hoping we can stretch what we have.” – Amanda

Your generosity today can help Amanda fill her pantry with fresh fruit, vegetables, and everyday essentials so she doesn’t have to skip another meal.

Want to support Queenslanders in need?

Share Your Story

Have you received food support during a time of hardship? Foodbank would love to hear from you.

mystory@foodbankqld.org.au to hear how you can help raise awareness and support others experiencing hardship.

Share My Story

Feeding School Children Throughout 

Queensland

Foodbank’s School Breakfast Program

Providing hungry children with a healthy breakfast.

Unfortunately, not all children are able to start the day with breakfast at home. That’s why our School Breakfast Program is so important. Our aim is to make sure that all Queensland children, regardless of their circumstances, have an equal start in life.

Feeding our kids provides so much more than just a nutritious meal. With a full tummy, they can better focus and concentrate, improving their learning outcomes and physical and mental health. Our School Breakfast Program provides cereal, milk, bread and fresh fruit to children who would otherwise go without. This program is run in over 430 Queensland schools and feeds 52,000 kids a week.

Are you a school looking to sign up for Foodbank’s School Breakfast Program? Please submit an enquiry here.

Brisbane

With the support of Foodbank Queensland, Nexus Care, a frontline charity based in Everton Park, supports five local school breakfast programs, providing a nutritious breakfast to approximately 500 children a week. Suki O’Dea, Nexus Care Community Programs Coordinator said their Brekky Clubs offer 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. 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!” – Suki, Nexus Care Community Programs Coordinator 

Far North Queensland

Burketown State School, a primary school located in an isolated Far Northwest Queensland town, recently began a Foodbank school breakfast program to help combat the challenge of school attendance. Chris Ford, Burketown State School Principal, said with the help of Foodbank, they can now provide a healthy breakfast five days a week for up to 40 students, nearly the whole school, to give children the best start to their school day. 

“Many students wouldn’t come to school because they had nothing to eat for breakfast and had no lunch to bring to school. When we received our first delivery from Foodbank, it made such a difference in reducing the barriers children face when coming to school,” –  Chris, Burketown State School Principal 

Food for Kids Program

Hunger doesn’t stop during school holidays, so Foodbank Queensland works with schools across Queensland to help vulnerable children and their families access food through take-home packs at the end of each term. Together, we can ensure children are nourished when school is out.

Amanda’s Story

Just when Amanda had nothing left, there was a Foodbank Queensland Food for Kids hamper waiting at her children’s school.

Packed with pantry staples like pasta, rice, noodles, and muesli bars, the food meant her kids could eat and sleep with full tummies.

“Plain rice is so simple, but you can take it so for granted until you don’t have food, and then a bowl of rice is like magic. Being able to fill them and not have them go to bed hungry with their tummies grumbling is a big thing.” – Amanda

SUPPORT SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS

Supporting Charities Throughout Queensland

Foodbank Queensland Community Partners

Foodbank Queensland provides food and groceries directly to Community Partners who support people seeking food relief. Foodbank Queensland currently works with more than 350 Community Partners across the state. Our Community Partners range from large service providers like the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, to small community groups and shelters. Community Partners provide a variety of services, including food relief such as food hampers, low-cost grocery outlets, community meals, cooking programs and street feeds to help people in need. If you are a Queensland charity or support provider, 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.

Becoming A Foodbank Queensland Community Partner

To access Foodbank Queensland’s ‘pantry’, your organisation must become a registered Foodbank Community Partner. Members need to be involved in the delivery of food relief programs in their community and be able to demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria. If accepted, Community Partners pay a small one-off membership fee when joining.  

Please read the Frequently Asked Questions Factsheet to help decide if Foodbank Queensland membership is right for you. If you wish to advance with your application, please click on the link below to complete an application form. 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Community Partner Membership Applications

Thank you for your interest in joining Foodbank Queensland as a Community Partner.

Membership with Foodbank Queensland is for non-profit organisations, community groups, and grassroots initiatives that provide food relief within their communities at low or no cost. This ensures that the support and resources offered by Foodbank Queensland are directed towards those who are dedicated to helping individuals and families most in need.

If you fit this description, please take a few minutes to complete the short Application Screening Survey. Once completed, someone from the Member Engagement team will be in touch with next steps.

Application Screening Survey

If you have any questions, or require further information, please contact us at members@foodbankqld.org.au
We welcome all Foodbank Community Partners to complete this survey to provide feedback.

Meet some of Foodbank Queensland’s Community Partners:

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Open Hands Community Care

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Community Friends

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WHO WE HELP

We believe everyone should have access to good quality food no matter their situation.

We work with over 350 Community Partners across Queensland to get food and groceries to those who could use a hand every year. We support more than 430 School Breakfast Programs in Queensland, regularly supporting 52,000 school-aged children each school week.

Find out how Foodbank Queensland works with the community to help those in need.

Fundraise for  Foodbank Queensland

Fundraising for Foodbank Queensland is easy and fun

Whether you are an individual, community group, workplace or school there are many great ways you can get involved to fight hunger in Queensland. At Foodbank, every $1 donated provides 2 meals, so no matter how big or small your contribution, you can make a difference for Queenslanders experiencing a hunger crisis.

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Birthday Fundraiser

Do you have a birthday coming up? Do you just want to help fight hunger and ask your friends to help you raise money for Foodbank Queensland?

Fundraise Now
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Workplace Giving

Workplace Giving is a program that allows staff to donate a portion of their pre-tax salary, which companies can then match to double the impact.

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Containers for Change

By donating your eligible bottles and cans through Containers for Change, you can help Foodbank Queensland provide food for families doing it tough. Every 10 cents adds up to real meals for people in need.

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In Their Honour

Donating to Foodbank Queensland in memory of a loved one is a very special way to honour their life and legacy. It also makes a significant impact to those experiencing hunger.

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Start your fundraising journey

Fundraising Toolkit

Our fundraising pack contains all of the information you need to create a successful fundraiser as well as tips, tricks and ideas.

Fundraising Promotion

If you would like to chat about your needs in regards to promoting your fundraiser, please get in touch with our fundraising team.

Fundraising Guidelines

Get answers to the most commonly asked questions here or reach out to one of our friendly team members:
fundraising@foodbankqld.org.au

Apply today to Fundraise

To fundraise for Foodbank Queensland you will need an authority to fundraise. Please read the Fundraising Toolkit then complete and return the form by sending an email to fundraising@foodbankqld.org.au to receive an official Authority To Fundraise letter. This letter ensures your supporters know that you are fundraising on Foodbank’s behalf.

Fundraising Toolkit