Nambour-based charity The Everyday Foundation’s record-breaking Hope Hampers campaign brightened Christmas for locals doing it tough. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Sunshine Coast community, more than $80,000 was raised which allowed the Foundation to provide over 600 hampers. 

The festive hampers were loaded with Christmas treats, pantry staples, presents and decorations which helped ease the burden on local families and individuals struggling with food insecurity and financial strain. 

General manager Karen Gullo said the increased need for food relief over the holiday season was likely to continue into the new year with cost-of-living pressures hitting locals hard. 

“There was a 30 per cent increase in nominations for Christmas hampers compared to the previous year,” Karen said. 

“We expect to see a similar increase across our low-cost supermarket and emergency relief program, but we’re ready to meet the need and support our wonderful community.”

The Everyday Foundation is expected to move to its new site at 76-79 Currie St, Nambour in the second half of the year. 

The new site will streamline the charity’s operations and allow its low-cost supermarket, emergency relief, meal support kitchen and social enterprise café to exist under the same roof. 

“The Everyday Foundation’s mission is to meet people in their place of need but also to help them in their journey out of poverty. Our new space will allow us to serve more people as well as expand our program offerings,” said Karen.  

This story originally appeared in the Sunshine Valley Gazette