2023 annual report final WEB - Flipbook - Page 29
GLOBAL CARE REPORT
In Nambour on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast,
Suncoast Care has operated a low-cost grocery
store for several years.
In Nambour on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland,
Suncoast Care has operated a low-cost grocery
store for several years. Over time, Suncoast Care has
expanded and now supports local schools through a
pantries program, runs a weekly soup kitchen, and
offers emergency assistance hampers.
The capacity of a single organisation is limited.
However, when we collaborate with others and share
resources, we can have a more significant impact
and reach more people in need. By the end of 2022,
Suncoast Care contributed over 1.3 tonnes of food and
$6,296 to other local organisations.
Like other parts of the country, lower socio-economic
groups on the Sunshine Coast need help to keep up
with the rising cost of living. Suncoast Care Director
Karen Gullo says that ‘the need for food assistance is
constantly ramping up.’
The low-cost grocery store, open weekly from
Monday to Friday, served 52,675 customers in 2022.
Suncoast Care distributed over 240 tonnes of fruit and
vegetables through their grocery store and other food
care services. By promoting healthier food choices
and ensuring adequate accessibility to fresh food,
Suncoast Care is contributing to the long-term health
and prosperity of the Sunshine Coast region.
Before COVID, Suncoast Care was providing around
40 hot meals per night. In 2022, the distribution of
hot meals more than doubled, with Suncoast Care
providing 33,390 hot meals throughout the year. In
2023, the care service has seen a 250% increase of
distributed meals compared to pre-COVID figures.
For many residents, living week to week is becoming
a shared reality. Suncoast Care has filled the gap
for many families and individuals, distributing 500
hampers to those in need this year.
The impact of food insecurity can be particularly
profound for children. Parents living in insecure
households say that, at times, their children may go
a whole day without eating fresh food, go to school
without breakfast, go to bed without dinner, or go to
school without lunch. The immediate impact of food
insecurity on children includes irritability, change in
sleeping patterns, anger outbursts, unhappiness, poor
behaviour, and an inability to concentrate at school.
Through their pantries program, Suncoast Care
provided 1.8 tonnes of food and $2,325 to local schools
in the region. This effort has significantly contributed
to the nourishment of students, supporting positive
learning outcomes and the health of growing bodies.
We are incredibly grateful and proud of those
generously investing in this mission. Without the
support of a volunteer army, these programs would
not function. In 2022, volunteers contributed 18,537
hours of service.
The increasing needs of residents in the community
are undeniable. Many Global Care directors like
Karen have had to accommodate and expand rapidly
to meet the needs. For Suncoast Care, finding more
efficient ways to raise funds for their services is a
priority. Through their social enterprise café, the local
operation has already raised enough funds for a fulltime staff member to cook hot meals.
Across Australia, Global Care has 39 active food
care operations. These operations include low-cost
grocery stores, school breakfast feeding programs,
community kitchens, and emergency food hampers.
Despite differences in scale and reach, each operation
can connect with vulnerable residents and provide
hope for the future through food provision.
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