Harvest Rain Christian Care provides vital food relief across Ipswich region

Harvest Rain Christian Care is one of Foodbank Queensland’s 250 Member Charities focused on assisting disadvantaged people and people experiencing crisis from across the Ipswich and surrounding regions – primarily through the provision of food support.

The community charity’s support programs, which all operate from the Tivoli Drive In, assist approximately 60,000 people from across the Ipswich region.

Fred Muys, Harvest Rain Christian Care Executive Director, said he was grateful to have been receiving food from Foodbank Queensland since 2007 to help Harvest Rain Christian Care grow its vital food relief programs.

“We operate a Community Food Co-op which provides battlers with the opportunity to source groceries and other items for a nominal handling fee, plus options to receive free bakery, dairy and fresh produce,” Fred explains.

“We also operate a community kitchen which produces more than 2,500 wholesome pre-cooked and frozen meals every week for distribution to needy families – both through our own agency and through other charities and community groups across the region,” he said.

Their frozen meals project also supports unemployed youth by offering employment and work skills training opportunities in hospitality, where trainees work in a commercial grade kitchen to produce nutritious meals, from the food provided by Foodbank, to support people in need.

Since COVID-19, the team at Harvest Rain Christian Care have commenced a home delivery service to support the increasing number of people experiencing hardship, including the elderly and many who are unable to access support due to lockdowns and isolation.

Harvest Rain Christian Care is sadly just one of many food relief charities who have seen an increase in demand, with charities in Ipswich currently supporting, on average, double the number of people on a weekly basis, compared to February last year prior to COVID-19 lockdowns.

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.

If you are a Queensland charity, Foodbank Queensland membership is a great way to support your food relief projects, offering your organisation a reliable source of food and groceries all year round.