The ripple effect of the Red Bag Appeal

Queenslanders called to “wrap up” some holiday joy this Christmas

With more than 3.7 million Australian households experiencing food insecurity and more than 60% of households reliant on Jobseeker payment, Wesley Mission Queensland (WMQ) has set out to distribute more than 3,000 Red Bags for food relief leading up to Christmas.

WMQ will launch its annual Red Bag Appeal on Monday 30 October to spread much-needed hope to families in need, as it predicts demand for crisis Christmas groceries will hit critical levels this festive season.

Through the generosity of the Queensland community and the support of our logistics partner Storage King, the Appeal aims to raise up to $80,000 for Emergency Relief to meet the increasing demands of its services.

WMQ Manager Access and Inclusion Pauline Coffey, said sadly one in eight people, including one in six children, now live in poverty:

'Cost of living pressure has hit an all-time high and Queensland families are feeling the crunch, particularly over the holiday season. The pressure is so much that it has even spread to families with full time employment. Families are increasingly needing our support — and our Red Bag Appeal will help relieve some of the burden over the Christmas period.

'This increasing number of families needing support this year means we require more Red Bag Campaign Volunteers than ever to meet these demands'.

Veteran Brisbane Relief Hub volunteer Denise, who has worked in the Red Bag Appeal for more than 10 years, is eager to spread the joy this Christmas once again:

It's just such a happy time of year, and the joy spreads beyond just Christmas day. “I remember a mother one year telling me how they couldn’t afford to have Christmas that year. When I gave her one of our red bags and some toys for her children, she was incredibly grateful and went home that day to celebrate a belated Christmas in January with her family. But the red bags aren’t from me. They’re from the generous Queenslanders who have chosen to make someone else’s holidays a little bit brighter.

The Red Bag Appeal runs until Friday 24 December.