WE ALL know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but are Whitsundays kids getting breakfast every day?
During the school term, 170,000 children across Queensland are given breakfast through school-based brekky programs.
However, when school holidays hit, some families find it really hard having the kids at home all day, with the rocketing food prices.
The Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre has created a program to support families in need, when school is out.
The Brekky Pack program provides a bag of breakfast foods to help families across the Whitsunday region.
The packs include a choice of cereal, vegemite or honey, bread, milk, butter, Milo, pancake mix and juice.
The Neighbourhood Centre seeks sponsorship from local businesses to fund the packs.
Executive Officer Rebecca Woods said 20 families were selected to receive the packs during the last school holidays, at Easter.
“We know that families are struggling with the cost of groceries, particularly over holidays, when children tend to eat more,” Mrs Woods said.
“A box of cereal averages $8 – a pack like this will help to spread the grocery budget.”
Whitsunday Transit, Smooth Sailing Financial Consulting and Peto’s Construction each sponsored 10 packs.
We aim to distribute the packs ahead of the school term ending,” Mrs Woods said.
“Other Neighbourhood Centre programs to support families are $15 pantry packs, that would retail at around $70, and other low and no-cost food options from our Pantry Program.
“We have seen such an increase in demand that we are now seeing people accessing our programs a total of 400 times, each month.”
Ms Woods said the Neighbourhood Centre was planning a Food Bank in 2026.
If you need support or would like to be involved with sponsoring the packs, reach out to the Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre on 4946 7850.
Or visit them at 14-20 Hazelwood Crescent, Cannonvale.
