Ever wonder what it is like to wait for an hour or so in a food line?
If you think it would be depressing, you would be wrong. A lot of the people we help are socially isolated, either by circumstances or by choice. They enjoy the coming together and meeting with the other food giveaway participants. The food giveaway has created a social network for these people. They make friends with others who attend.
Can you Help? Make Sandwiches for Community Friends! Get a group of friends together and make sandwiches to give out at one of our Weekly Food Stalls. 200 would be good, 300 would be better. Have a sandwich party on a Tuesday night and come along the next day to meet our community and give them some fresh food. Even just once off will make a huge difference. Please email me at mark@communityfriends.org.au to book in.
Sheets, Blankets, Pillows, Winter Clothing ……… Can you help?
Winter is especially cold if you’re homeless. Each year as the winter months approach we ask people to collect sheets, pillows and blankets and good quality winter clothing & shoes from their families, friends and work colleagues. New or second-hand it doesn’t matter, provided they are clean and without holes. You would be very welcome to host a stall at our Weekly Food Stall to meet our community and hand out the clothing. I will collect the bedding as I provide this direct to people as we get them into safe housing. Please email me at mark@communityfriends.org.au for more details.
Want to host a Winter Clothing & Bedding Collection but not in Brisbane? That’s ok, please know that any local charity shop will gladly accept any collections you can make. These items are always in high demand as the Winter months approach. Why not create your own yearly collection group!
Hand Up and a Hand Out
“He is so intellectually impaired that he will always need a hand out”. We can (and will) try and give him a “hand up”, but the reality is that some people will always need to be supported. It is not their fault, it is just the way it is. They are dealt a bad deal in life.
So the next time you hear someone say the homeless or disadvantaged need a hand up and not a hand out, you will know the truth. Some people will need a hand out for the rest of their life. That is just the reality of the situation and no slogan can change that.