When Lighthouse Care was established in 2004, co-founder Debbie Hill had little idea of the scale of the impact she and her family would be having on families in need in the years to come, earning Lighthouse Care the title of Community Organisation of the Year for Queensland in 2019.

Starting off in the Logan suburb of Eagleby, handing out free bread from the back of a van, the service quickly grew in its scale and offering. After moving premises to the local PCYC in 2005, the number of families the charity assisted quickly increased – from a dozen, to 30, to 300 families. The difference Debbie and her family are making, not only to families in their local community, but to families living as far south as Murwillumbah in northern NSW and as far north as Caboolture, is incredible.

In the last 12 months, Lighthouse Care has helped over half a million individuals through food relief, providing 26,000 shopping trolleys for only $25 each, to families struggling to make ends meet. But Lighthouse Care, and especially Debbie, provide more than just food relief. They also provide a place where nobody is being judged for seeking help, and where people can share their concerns over a cup of coffee. Concerns like those of single mother Sally, who could not afford to feed her 3 young children after receiving a parking ticket at the hospital for running over time whilst receiving life-saving chemotherapy treatment.

It is these stories, and the knowledge of being able to make a profound difference to the most vulnerable in her community, that drive Debbie’s and her families passion and community spirit. If you want to help this cause, donating as little as $25 dollars via Lighthouse care’s Go Fund Me page, provides a full trolley of food for families in need.

Readers also enjoyed this story about UX design pioneer, Katja Forbes.