Donations desperately needed as number of people seeking help rises

With more people struggling to make ends meet, The Breakfast Club in Redcliffe is seeking donations of non-perishable food items that will help people in need.

The organisation is hoping for donations of soups, stews, cereal, tinned fruit and vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce and snacks that will fill the stomachs of people who would otherwise go without.

Michelle Gilchrist from The Breakfast Club said the demand for food is rising.

“Providing people with food is our biggest focus and what we are here for predominately,” Michelle said.

“All of the donations we receive are used for our meal services, so providing breakfast and dinners for people, as well as emergency food parcels.

“The food parcels have a few items that will help someone for a few days.”

Currently, the organisation is serving more than 1000 meals per month to struggling families and individuals.

They provide a free community dinner every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 4.30-5.30pm, as well as a hot breakfast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 7-8am.

Volunteers also go out two nights a week on Wednesday and Sunday to assist people living on the streets.

“We also make up food packs for the homeless. Some weeks we can give out 100 of these,” Michelle said.

On Sunday, August 14, the organisation’s Outreach team connected with 41 homeless people, some of whom the volunteers had not met before.

The team distributed all the food packs they had on board and gave out plenty of blankets and sleeping bags.

The Breakfast Club Redcliffe Inc have been helping the homeless and those in need on the peninsula since 2003.

Help from the local Lions Club

The Redcliffe Central Lions Club have helped boost some of the supplies at The Breakfast Club by dropping off a number of grocery items. 

The club donated an array of non-perishable food items such as canned vegetables, noodles, soup, pasta sauce, pasta, rice, tuna, oats, long-life milk and biscuits.

In a Facebook post, the club said “we also toured the Breakfast Club facility and saw that the services provided to community members in need are far more extensive than food support.

“Toiletries, clothing and other household necessities are available, and meals are served – breakfast and dinner – on a number of days during the week.

“There is also a van - a mobile soup kitchen - that travels around the Redcliffe Peninsula to provide support to the homeless.

“While the Breakfast Club receives quite a lot of donations and volunteer support, it is evident that the demand for their services exceeds their resources and demand has been increasing with the aftermath of COVID and the recent tightening economic times.

“The volunteer showing us around and pointed out that they are providing 60-100 food parcels each week for homeless people and the demand is not slowing.

“Much of our donation was directed to supplementing the day packs as part of the ‘Reconnect 2022 July Appeal’ conducted by Breakfast Club, Encircle and the Salvation Army in support of the homeless.”

List of sought-after donations

The Breakfast Club Redcliffe Inc is looking for the following donations which will help struggling families and individuals:

Day pack items

• Belvita breakfast biscuits
• Le Snak/cheese snacks
• Small fruit pottles
• Up and Go
• Poppers
• Muesli Bars

Pantry staples

• Baked beans
• Soups
• Stews
• Tinned fish
• Tinned meat
• Tinned vegetables
• Tinned fruit
• Pasta sauce
• Cereal
• Long-life milk
• Biscuits and crackers
• Coffee
• Spreads like jam or peanut butter

Cleaning items

• Surface spray
• Washing powder
• Dishwashing liquid

Donations can be dropped off on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am-1.30pm at Pensioners Hall, corner of Portwood St and Oxley Ave, Redcliffe.

For more information about The Breakfast Club Inc, you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram or visit the website.