What’s happening?
Grand Central has set up two donation stations to support Base Services and its Christmas Hamper Food Drive.
The stations are open from Monday 1 December and sit outside Coles and Woolworths for easy access. The aim is to help people who are homeless or at high risk of homelessness during the Christmas period.
Why it matters?
The food drive gives locals a way to support people doing it tough. Grand Central and Base Services ran the drive for the first time last year and saw strong community support.
Community Relations Manager Georgina Bayly said the bright orange stations make it simple for shoppers to help.
Local impact
The donations will go straight to Base Services so they can pack Christmas hampers for Toowoomba residents who need support. The set-up means shoppers can contribute during their normal weekly shop, no matter which end of the centre they use.
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Community Relations Manager Georgina Bayly said after a bumper first-year last year, Grand Central once again will have two unmanned donation stations for the Base Services Christmas Food Drive, one near Coles and one near Woolworths.
“Our bright-orange donation stations will assist in sharing the generosity of our community to those who are homeless or at high-risk of homelessness, and what better way to do that than to partner up with Base Services,” she said.
“We are asking that our community consider donating non-perishable food items like canned food, packet noodles, poppas, UHT milk and canned tuna during their weekly shop, regardless of what end of the centre they visit,” she said.
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Community-driven Christmas food drives have become an important part of the season in regional centres.
Grand Central’s ongoing partnership with Base Services shows how local groups can create steady support for people who would otherwise feel left behind during the festive period.
What to look for next?
Grand Central will run more Christmas activities, and locals can check event details through the centre’s website as the season continues.