Dignity First dishing up sustainable meals in Brisbane

A local organisation is providing meals to families escaping domestic violence thanks to the Palaszczuk Government’s Dignity First Fund.

Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni today visited Communify in Ashgrove to see the organisation dishing up tasty meals during Homelessness Week (August 4 – 10).

“The Dignity First Fund provides for people who really need it, when they really need it,” Mr de Brenni said.

“Communify prepares meals for families escaping domestic and family violence who are living in temporary accommodation and older people living in boarding houses.

“Through a $110,000 Dignity First grant, Communify was able to upgrade its kitchen facilities and purchase equipment to continue the invaluable work they do.

“It’s incredibly important to see firsthand the Fund in action, making a positive difference to the lives of people across the greater Brisbane region.”

Karen Dare, CEO of Communify, said it was fantastic to receive Dignity First funding for the kitchen upgrades.

“Communify aims to help people going through difficult times,” she said.

“Through our partnership with SecondBite, we are now producing 600 meals a fortnight for people who may not otherwise have something to eat.

“The kitchen also provides positive flow-on effects to the wider community, with other local organisations able to use these facilities.”

The Palaszczuk Government has invested $7.5 million into Dignity First Fund projects since 2016.

Projects include mobile outreach services, food trucks, community kitchen upgrades, drop-in centres and backpacks containing essential supplies.

“The theme for 2019 Homelessness Week is ‘Housing Ends Homelessness’,” Mr de Brenni said.

“In line with this theme, the Palaszczuk Government is investing $220 million over the five years to 2022 to build 684 new social homes in the Brisbane area.

“This is part of our $1.8 billion Queensland Housing Strategy, which is redefining how the Queensland Government delivers social and affordable housing, providing innovative housing design to meet contemporary housing needs, urban renewal and new jobs.”

Round four of the Dignity First Fund will see a further $2.5 million made available to organisations working to reduce the impact of homelessness, and help people live with dignity by targeting projects that improve life skills, tenancy skills, education and employment opportunities.

Applications close Friday 16 August 2019.

For more information, visit www.hpw.qld.gov.au/DignityFirst.

ENDS

Media contact: Ben Brew – 0468 839 551