Donations for food are urgently required

Blue Mountains Family Support Services, now known as Thrive Services, need the community’s help this year.

Thrive Services have been supporting families across the upper Blue Mountains for over 45 years and in recent years has extended that support into Lithgow. This year we are marking National Families Week by reaching out to our wider community to ask for donations of essential food.

In the last 12 months, Thrive has seen a doubling of families coming to us for food support from our pantry. Our food pantry is entirely run on donations of food and small grants. We provided over 1500 bags of food to the community last year and this year the need has increased.

Bendigo bank assisted us in 2021 by setting up the food donation bin outside Katoomba Coles Supermarket and each fortnight we empty it, and the food is gone within the week.

Thrive is seeking donations of long life food including

Long life Milk (all types)

Tea and coffee,

Pasta and sauces,

Tinned tuna and vegetables,

Rice, instant noodles,

Breakfast cereals,

Children’s school snacks and juices,

Baby food pouches

Thrive CEO, Karen van Woudenberg said “donations of long-life food items can make a difference to a family being able to pay rent or an essential bill, or buy medicine for their family, and still have food in the cupboard. This year we are all very aware that families are being hit by rising costs and limited incomes and we are seeking donations to help support our work with families.”

To make a donation drop your food items off at 2 Station Street Katoomba or make a tax deductible donation at https://www.thriveservices.org.au/help-us/donate/