
If you have found this resource, you probably need a bit of a hand and you should know that you are definitely not alone.
Below you will discover Foodbank locations throughout Brisbane and other places for reduced-cost food and free food hampers in the area.
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Who Uses Foodbank?
Did you know that more than 150,000 people in Queensland rely on the help of Foodbank to provide them with food relief as well as nearly almost 50,000 school children. As the cost of living crisis worsens these number continue to increase.
You might think it is only the homeless or jobless that use Foodbank, but it is every day battling Australian families struggling to put food on the table.
Free Food Hampers Near Me
In addition to more affordable shopping options, several places across Brisbane provide ongoing support for families by providing free food hampers, and free shopping options. Some places even provide reduced personal care items and support for things like rental property advice, legal matters and other community supports.
While this article focuses mainly on food relief, if you need help with other matters, please check what else the community centres (linked to below) offer.
Some Things to Note Before Contacting These Places
- Check individual conditions first. Many food banks require their customer to live in the local area. A few also require pension or health care cards (but most don’t).
- Some places will only provide non-perishable items that could help, but others will have perishable items as well.
- Check opening hours. Some venues are open Monday to Friday, while others are only open for one day of the week or limited hours of the day.
- Ensure a referral is not required (or obtain a referral). We have only included places that were okay with self-referral, but always check this hasn’t changed before you visit.
- Some bigger places will have trolleys to make it easier with kids, but it is worth checking first.
- Some belong to a wider organisation operating throughout Australia, like St Vincent De Paul, and others are run by small groups of volunteers.
- Some of these places may also prepare food and provide a meal service or have a food kitchen which might be helpful for those with accessibility issues.
- Demand for food can change, so it’s worth ringing places first to check their capacity, see how they work and distribute their food.
Food Hampers North Brisbane
- Bardon. Communify Qld. North West Community Hub, 180 Jubilee Terrace, Bardon. This charity provides free food vouchers, bread, fruit, vegetables, and meals. An Open House is also held once a week. Recipients must be located in North or Inner North Brisbane and have a health care card or pension card. Can self-refer.
- Bald Hills. Harvest Food Assist, 53 Telegraph Road, Bald Hills. This service provides non-perishable food parcels. (07) 3261 4555
- Bellara. OzHarvest, Bribie Island & District Neighbourhood Centre, 50 Verdoni Street, Bellara. Provides material aid through free food parcels, mainly fresh produce, for people in need. Free bread is also on offer. Must be located nearby. Can self-refer.
- Bowen Hills. Communify Qld, Jeays Street Community Centre, 12 Jeays Street, Bowen Hills. A weekly toasties and pool competition, where you can play a game of snooker and have a free toastie.
- Bray Park. Bray Park Community Church, 10 Youngs Crossing Road, Bray Park. Emergency food support. BYO bags, For those in need living in the local area.
- Caboolture. Caboolture Community Action, 23 Hayes Street, Caboolture. Food hampers for those in need and cooked meals twice a week for homeless and disadvantaged community members.
- Caboolture. Caboolture Community Care, 9 George Street, Caboolture. Emergency Food Service/Food Hampers including fruit, vegetables and groceries.
- Caboolture. Loaves and Fishes, 2/8 Torrens Road, Caboolture. Low-cost food parcels. Admin fee payable.
- Caboolture. St Vincent De Paul, 61-65 Morayfield Road, Caboolture. Food parcels.
- Chermside. Chermside Anglican Welfare Ministries, 501 Hamilton Road, Chermside. Parish Pantry and Soup Kitchen. Food parcels, limited fresh fruit and vegetables, bread. Can self-refer.
- Dakabin. ADRA Community Care Centre – Pine Rivers. 337 Old Gympie Road, Dakabin. Provides food hampers to individuals and families in need, for a small contribution, if possible.
- Deception Bay. Deception Bay Baptist Church, 26 Silver Street, Deception Bay. Food parcels. Need to live locally. Can self-refer.
- Deception Bay. Deception Bay Neighbourhood Centre, 24 Endeavour Street, Deception Bay. Food parcels.
- Deception Bay. Freshwater Anglican Parish, 43 Park Road, Deception Bay. Food pantry.
- Deception Bay. Lighthouse Centre Deception Bay, 8 Summer Street, Deception Bay. This charity provides low-cost food items for the community, and often free food, particularly fruit and veg. Can self-refer.
- Everton Park. Nexus Care Everton Park, 151 Flockton Street, Everton Park. Fresh Start Food Program for a small fee to eligible persons.
- Everton Park. Reach Out Community & Family Care, 36 Baden Powell Street, Everton Park. Food store – low cost.
- Kallangur. Encircle Kallangur Neighbourhood Centre, 51 Marsden Road, Kallangur. Pantry packs available.
- Kallangur. Moreton Bay Community Matters, Rivers Church, 120 Ann Street, Kallangur. Community Food Bank. Food parcels for individuals and families experiencing disadvantage. Can self-refer.
- Kallangur. Pine Rivers Uniting Church, 30 Narangba Road, Kallangur. Food parcels.
- Kippa-Ring. St Vincent De Paul, 198 Anzac Avenue, Kippa-Ring. Food parcels.
- Lawnton. Encircle Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre, 865 Gympie Road, Lawnton. Pantry packs available.
- Lawnton. The Salvation Army Pine Rivers Corps, 27-29 Lawnton Pocket Road, Lawnton. Emergency Relief. Aid includes food parcels, food vouchers, clothing and financial assistance with utility bills. To use this service, you must live in Lawnton, Murrumba Downs and Strathpine local areas. Can self-refer.
- Lawnton. Vineyard Mercy Centre, 36-18 Paisley Drive, Lawnton. Emergency relief including food parcels and clothing.
- Mitchelton. Picabeen Community Centre, 22 Hoben Street, Mitchelton. Limited food pantry/food parcels for those in need in eligible surrounding suburbs.
- New Farm. New Farm Neighbourhood Centre, 967 Brunswick Street, New Farm. Weekly food packages by SecondBite – free for eligible persons. Ph: 07) 3358 5600
- Petrie. North Pine Anglican Church, 3 Wyllie Street, Petrie. Hope cottage – Emergency food support. Call Church first.
- Petrie. Wesley Mission Petrie, 3 Mundin Street, Petrie. Drop-In Service providing daily snacks, community meal every Sunday (lunch), and up to 10 free food hampers per year.
- Redcliffe. Encircle Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre, 1 Lamington Drive, Redcliffe. Food Parcels available.
- Redcliffe. Redcliffe Uniting Church, 1 Richens Street, Redcliffe. Food support.
- Redcliffe. Wesley Mission Redcliffe, 457 Oxley Avenue, Redcliffe. Drop-In Service providing daily snacks, community meal every Sunday (lunch), and up to 10 free food hampers per year.
- Sandgate. Nexus Care Sandgate, 37 Brighton Road, Sandgate. Fresh Start Food Program for a small fee for eligible persons.
- Strathpine. St Faith’s Anglican Church, 1 Sutherland Drive, Strathpine. Food parcels.
- Strathpine. The Youth Development Program, 429 Gympie Road, Strathpine. Low-cost food parcels for those in need.
- Zillmere. Zillmere Community Centre, 54 Handford Road, Zillmere. Emergency Relief. Emergency relief is available for individuals and families experiencing disadvantage, Aid includes food parcels. To use this service you must live in Zillmere or surrounding suburbs. Can self-refer.
Food Hampers South Brisbane and Ipswich
- Capalaba. The Rock Family & Community Support, 6 Hook Street, Capalaba. Foodlink. Low-cost large food parcels for the local community. These parcels contain grocery items, cleaning supplies and personal items. You can self-refer.
- Carindale. Citipointe Community Care, 322 Wecker Road, Carindale. Includes low-cost groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, and emergency food parcels for those in need. Can self-refer.
- Cleveland. COOEE Indigenous Family & Community Education Centre, 69 Haggup Street, Cleveland. Many services are offered for the Indigenous community via this organisation, including food parcels. Need to be located in the Redland City area. Can self-refer.
- Darra. Vietnamese Community in Australia, Queensland Chapter, 2709 Ipswich Road, Darra. Aid includes food hampers. Customers need to be located in neighbouring suburbs and present a current Centrelink income statement. Can self-refer.
- Durack. Citipointe Community Care, 152 Freeman Road, Durack. Includes low-cost groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, and emergency food parcels for those in need. Can self-refer.
- Eight Mile Plains. ADRA Community Centre, Eight Mile Plains. Emergency relief services are only available for people who reside in Mansfield, Wishart, Holland Park, MacGregor, Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt East, Upper Mount Gravatt, Eight Mile Plains, Rochedale, Rochedale South, Runcorn, Kuraby, Underwood, Slacks Creek & Sunnybank. Clients must present a current Centrelink statement, Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card. Can self-refer.
- Eagleby. The Twin Rivers Centre, 104 River Hills Road, Eagleby. Aid includes food vouchers and parcels. Need to be located in the Logan City and Beaudesert area. Can self-refer.
- Ellen Grove. Elorac Place Community Centre Food Shed, 11a Southampton Road, Ellen Grove. Food shed with discounted grocery items. Can self-refer.
- Gailes. Gailes Community House. 30 Karina Street, Gailes. Food hampers and low-cost grocery items available. To use this service, you must be make an appointment with a Community Support Worker. Can self-refer.
- Goodna. Soundpoint Youth and Community Centre. 27 Smiths Road, Goodna. Food parcels available including bread, fruit and veggies. Can self-refer.
- Goodna. Goodna Neighbourhood House, 33 Queen Street, Goodna. Free bread.
- Riverview. Queensland Youth & Families Support Services (QYFSS), 138 Old Ipswich Road, Riverview. Food hampers, fresh bakery items and fruit available. Can self refer.
- Hillcrest. Lighthouse Care, 1/16 Central Court, Hillcrest. Lighthouse Care provides food relief to over 70,000 families in need. Low cost groceries and emergency food.
- Logan Central. ADRA Community Care Centre, 31 Station Road, Logan Central. Emergency relief and support for those in need. Weekly soup kitchen and food parcels available. Op shop also on site.
- Loganholme. Lighthouse Care, 17-19 Monte-Khoury Drive, Loganholme. Lighthouse Care provides food relief to over 70,000 families in need. Low cost groceries and emergency food.
- Manly West. Hands & Feet, Wynnum Christian Community Church, 159 Preston Road, Manly West. Aid includes food parcels and clothing for those in need.
- Salisbury. Life Church Brisbane South. 63 Fairlie Terrace, Salisbury. Emergency relief. Their aid includes food parcels. Can self-refer.
- Slacks Creek. Tribe of Judah Care Services, 101 Park Road, Slacks Creek. Offering reduced cost groceries with no need for health care or pension cards.
- South Brisbane. Community Plus, West End Community House, 4 Norfolk Road, South Brisbane. Oz farmers harvest market. Need to be located in the Inner South. Can self-refer.
- Springfield. Camira Springfield Community Centre, 389 Old Logan Road, Springfield. Free food items. Can self-refer.
- West End. Community Friends, Bunyapa Park, Corner Thomas and Vulture Street, West End. This food relief charity provides a free community dinner and food parcels for people experiencing homelessness or struggling to put food on the table. self-referral ok.
- Wynnum. St Pete’s Pantry, 86 Bride Street, Wynnum. Free community food relief – perishable and frozen food items available.
- Yeronga Community Plus. Yeronga Community Centre, 62 Park Road, Yeronga. Bread Basket Charity. You need to be located in the inner south suburbs. Self-referral ok. Free bread is available.
If you are really struggling, you might also appreciate our resource about what to do if you are a Brisbane family in crisis. It includes some information about foodbank services but also other helpful services.
Foodbank Locations in Brisbane
Specific Foodbank locations across Brisbane are varied and can occasionally change, so our best recommendation is to go straight to the Foodbank Queensland Website and use their handy Find Food search function.
Once you input your postcode, and select what services you are looking for, you will be presented with a list of nearby services. Each result includes the venues name, address, website, opening hours and accessibility features.
Once you have found a suitable place, visit their website or contact them for further details. It’s as simple as that!
Foodbank has locations throughout the whole of Australia, so if you know someone else in need of Foodbank’s services, get them to check online at their own State’s Foodbank website.
Volunteer and Donate
Maybe you arrived at this resource because you want to help Foodbank with its good work. Or perhaps you initially utilised their services and now you want to give back tot the service that helped you so much.
You can help support Foodbank QLD in the following ways.
- Volunteering is a big part of the great work Foodbank does. This might involve packing, delivering, or other important roles like being a cook or packer. You could also consider looking at individual Foodbanks near you and see if they need volunteers. This generosity is not just limited to Foodbank and all the community organisations mentioned below would likely be seeking help.
- You can donate money directly to community organisations or Foodbank Queensland.
- You can sometimes donate food. There are some rules around food donations and what is accepted, and this is usually limited to specific times of the year.
- Show compassion. If you know of a local family in need and who expresses a need for help, reach out and see if you can help them directly or show them this resource or others mentioned on this page. Compassion can go a long way.
Where Does Donated Food Come From?
OzHarvest
OzHarvest is an Australian charity organisation which works to rescue excess food across Australia and distribute it to those in need.
The organisation operates in several cities throughout Australia, including Brisbane. (If you live in NSW or other states, look to the Foodbank website we provided in the beginning of the article)
In Brisbane, OzHarvest partners with a network of food donors, including supermarkets, restaurants, and cafes, to collect surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. There are strict rules around the quality of the donations so you don’t have to worry about the quality of food you might receive.
OzHarvest distributes food to charities in Australia and by working together with community groups they support vulnerable individuals and families.
Foodbank
Foodbank Queensland sources and rescues food on the largest scale, exclusively from registered food retailers, wholesalers, farmers, and manufacturers. By streamlining its distribution and delivery process and collecting food in large quantities, the organisation can provide the most food possible to their network of over 250 front-line charity members in a highly cost-effective manner.
Donations to Foodbank are usually limited to large-scale donations but sometimes Foodbank Queensland will run a Christmas Drive to provide food assistance over the Christmas season. In the past, this has been done at Retail First Shops and by requesting donations from individuals into collection cages. Usually, there is quite a bit of media attention around this.
Other Ways to Save Money on Groceries
If you are reading this article because you have been concerned about your grocery bill, and struggling to make ends meet, here are some ideas to help you save money.
- Meal plan to reduce the amount of food you are throwing out. While fresh vegetables are ideal, sometimes frozen is cheaper and reduces food waste.
- Shop seasonally. Fruit and vegetables in season are generally cheaper than fruit and vegetables out of season.
- Try and buy direct from the wholesaler or grower if you can. Local markets are a good place to start.
- Have a cheap night once a week where breakfast is for dinner or whatever can be rustled up from what’s on hand.
- Compare major supermarkets and shop for the specials. Aldi isn’t always cheaper, but often is. Now, apps will let you compare all the major shopping centres like Frugl and Wiselist.
- Bulk up meals with legumes.
- Have a meat-free night
- Invest in a slow cooker so you can buy cheaper cuts of meat
- Batch cook so you can buy in bulk and save money and time by cooking one meal that makes many.
- Join local Facebook groups around meal planning and budgeting, like budget mums Australia. These local, timely Facebook groups often share specials and ideas about saving money.
We hope you have discovered you don’t need to go hungry and that plenty of places are ready to help you and your fellow Australians.
It’s okay to acknowledge you need help and reach out for a free food hamper, and we encourage you to contact the community services provided for this reason.
If you know of any places not on our list, please help us to help other Brisbane families and mention it in the comments below or email us at info@brisbanekids.com.au
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