By Hollie Harris
THE Sunshine Coast Basket Brigade is a 100 per cent volunteer organisation which packs and delivers Christmas hampers of food, toys, and gifts for families and individuals who are facing challenges and need a helping hand.
The brigade believes it is important to support families who may not have food to eat during the holidays but may feel too proud to ask for help.
While the gifts may seem simple and ordinary, the group plants seeds in the lives of the people who receive the baskets which can have an extraordinary impact.
The Basket Buddies program was launched in July and has been very successful with people registering to buy one grocery item per week for 18 weeks.
This generosity has been the major contributor to the annual food drive and the group is on target to pack and deliver 200 hampers.
Organiser Trish Bignall said organisers have been humbled by the response.
It all comes together on Packing Day where the group packs and delivers the hampers anonymously to families all over the Sunshine Coast.
The donations have now closed but the brigade still needs people to drop off the remainder of the food.
Drop off locations:
Thursday 24 November – Noosa District High School (Cooroy and Pomona campuses), 9am to 3pm.
Saturday 26 November – Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, 2 Fifth Avenue, Cotton Tree, 10am to noon.
Monday 28 November – Caloundra Suncourt Motel, 135 Bulcock Street, Caloundra, 10am to noon.
Saturday 3 December – Christian Outreach Church, Eumundi Road, Noosaville, 10am to noon.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to do some deliveries or have previously registered, but have been unable to go ahead with the collection, is asked to email as soon as possible sunshinecoastbasketbrigade@magicmoments.org.au.
Anyone who is able to help the Basket Brigade keep the circle of giving intact can volunteer for Packing Day on 10 December at Cooroy State School, Elm Street, Cooroy, from 8.30am sharp and register by emailing sunshinecoastbasketbrigade@magicmoments.org.au.
