Community Partner Story – Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies

Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies: The Street Ministry, is a dedicated charity committed to offering support and essential resources to those in the community in need.   

Based in Logan, Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies is making a significant difference in the community, providing much-needed food assistance and creating emergency hampers for local families. The need for their services is growing at an incredible rate. As Director Pete Underwood explained, ‘It just went bang.’ Last year, the charity was supporting 500 community members a week, and now this year, they are supporting over 7,000 individuals every week. Foodbank Queensland supports their incredible food relief services and are the main supplier of fresh produce and grocery items for the everyday food relief that Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies provides.  

Director Pete Underwood revealed that her inspiration for Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies emerged during a period of incarceration. Her deep commitment to the community stems from her personal experience with homelessness and hunger. The combination of both circumstances drove Pete to create positive change in the community and create a sustainable food service for those in need. 

The local area surrounding Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies has seen a rising number of families accessing the service. With the increasing number of young families moving to the area, the WHWB team is dedicated to keeping up with the growing demand.   

Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies also provides six local schools in the area with food assistance, providing breakfasts for nearly 5,000 children every week. With Pete’s son as her motivation, she is committed to ensuring kids start their day on the right foot, with a healthy breakfast, she explained, “Kids don’t go hungry when I’m around.”  

Pete couldn’t run this operation alone and relies on the support of incredibly selfless volunteers. Volunteer Ashley became involved when she was approached by Pete who lived nearby and offered assistance. “She noticed I was pregnant with my daughter, and she would bring me food. It really helped.” Ashley joined the charity to pay the kindness forward, and together they keep the pantry full for those needing assistance. 

“Without finding Warm Hearts, I would never have found what I love doing now, ensuring no one in our community goes hungry.” – Ashley  

The Directors of the adjoining Kids Early Learning Browns Plains have generously offered Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies the use of a temporarily vacant space to operate from. Staff at the early learning centre Bec and Merrybel, share a deep passion for feeding community members who are facing food insecurity. “By offering this service to families, it takes away that stigma that some have when they are struggling financially. There is no stigma here,” Bec explains.

Upon entering the Centre, you’ll find a vibrant Community Pantry stocked with fresh fruit, bread, and children’s snacks collected from Foodbank Queensland’s Food Distribution Centre. This essential food is accessed daily by parents and carers of the children who access the service. “We don’t know if anyone is struggling at home, but having a pantry that’s always stocked up with items like broccoli, lettuce, wraps and pasta means they have the ability to make meals for their children at home.” – Merrybel 

Inclusion and accessibility are at the heart of WHWB, with Pete sharing, “In my past, I didn’t feel comfortable to go near anyone because of the way I looked, and was always getting judged, so I decided to become that person who people could approach.” 

Pete shares the heartbreaking reality of how the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact local families and the elderly. She has witnessed people rummaging through bins behind supermarkets, and understands how many feel there is no help available. But Pete explains that, “You don’t need to get to the point where you’re going through the bin.  I’ve seen families do it. Our message is to come with us, and we will feed you.”  

Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies hosted a Community Food Drop in Browns Plains to assist community members going hungry. With the support of Foodbank Queensland, Warm Hearts, Warm Bellies filled a carpark with cartons of food and ready-made meals from FareShare, a service that uses rescued food to create nutritious meals. The dedicated team welcomed over 200 local families to the Community Food Drop, distributing much needed food, and over 900 FareShare meals to those experiencing hunger.  

Pete recalls a woman who attended the Community Food Drop and volunteered to serve those waiting in the long lines. Afterward, she confided that she had recently lost her job and required food to support her family, yet she insisted on ensuring everyone else was fed before herself.  

When the team learned of her situation, they made sure she left the event with a hamper brimming with fresh produce and protein. ‘No one should ever feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for food. It’s here for everyone who needs it.” – Pete 

If you are in a position to help Foodbank Queensland provide more food across the state to support Queenslanders in need, please consider joining the fight against hunger as a regular giver.