Father. Grandfather. An everyday Queenslander struggling to make the pension go far enough.

At 76 years old, Edward has found himself like other pensioners, budgeting each week to make the pension go far enough. Despite these challenges, Edward has always drawn strength from being close to his family.

Father to two daughters and multiple grandchildren, Edward has always been a family man. When one of his daughters gave birth to a child with a disability, Edward moved closer to his family to help.

“I have followed her around, you know, to be as much help as I can be. She’s got four kids, one of them disabled. Not easy. So, we did that for a few years, and then she decided to move down to Brisbane.” – Edward

For the last two decades, Edward has lived near his daughter and grandchildren. Their bond is a special one and living nearby has meant that they have always been around to offer each other support. This was a crucial source of strength during the COVID pandemic when Edward was required to isolate.

This year, however, his daughter was lucky to find love again. This saw her move away from Brisbane, leaving Edward alone.

“She is so happy now that she’s found this man. And I’m so happy to see how happy she is. But, jeez, I miss her.” – Edward

With his daughter no longer nearby and the pension not stretching as far due to higher living costs, Edward is feeling the pinch of rising grocery prices.

“I’m on a pension, which is limited… And I don’t have a lot of other money. So, I’m basically living off what the pension gives me every two weeks. And half of that goes to my rent.” – Edward

To help reduce the stress that comes with searching for discounted food, Edward has found relief at one of Foodbank Queensland’s over 300 Member Charities.  At the Foodbank Member Charity, Edward finds both community connection and food to help make the week a little easier.

“I’ve had problems with always chasing specials and buying fruit that’s three days old and stuff like that, you know.  And I found this place.” – Edward

At the Foodbank Member Charity, a free breakfast and groceries are offered to those doing it tough in the local area.  Here, Edward has met other individuals who are facing difficult times.

“I can get food here for free and there is the joy of meeting some very nice people here. And whatever is on offer will always suit me. Because I eat what I have, not what I want. They have a lot of green veggies and stuff like that.”

Edward always takes care not to waste food and returns any excess that he knows he won’t consume, hoping that someone else in need will benefit.

When asked how thankful Edward is to Foodbank Queensland Donors and how their donations help to run the Foodbank Member Charity, Edward said:

“I’m extremely thankful. Extremely so because at my age and stage, my mobility is not so good. I’ve got this health issue that’s going on at the same time. It’s not just the cost of the stuff, but I live far away from the grocery stores. It’s probably a kilometre and a half to Woolies or Coles and then I have to carry it up the hill to go back home.”

Thanks to your generosity, pensioners like Edward have access to fresh produce and food when and where they need it most.

*Edward is a real Queenslander in need. His name has been changed to protect his identity.