Thousands of local and intercity residents are walking through the doors of the Caddies Community Centre seeking help.
Whether its chasing free meals, cheap clothing, or counselling services, around 90 families are visiting the long-standing Jimboomba centre every day.
Since January this year, when local charity Impact Care Services took over the peppercorn lease from Able Australia, around 3300 people have purchased from the low-cost food pantry, 250 people have bought from the centre’s op shop (with clothing costing between $1 and $5), and more than 1000 free meals have been handed out.
In May last year, there was outcry and concern from the community after the previous leaseholders announced they would be closing their services at the centre after more than a decade.
It meant the end for eight staff, even more volunteers, 150 frequent clients and several hundred more locals who relied on the Caddies centre for emergency relief, transport services and its cherished food pantry.
Logan City Council, the owner of the centre, quickly began searching for a replacement service provider.
By September, Impact Care Services signed the $1 a year lease.
The centre reopened to high demand in January this year, with several cherished services returning.
The Impact team even added a few more of their own, including a digital literacy program for people aged over 50, and counselling for men.
And there are even more in the pipeline, according to Impact Care director Heath Henwood.
“We have been open for four and a half months and on any given day we have got roughly 200 people through the centre,” he said.
During Cyclone Alfred, Caddies operated 24/7 and provided emergency accommodation, meals, and support to more than 500 people from across Logan, the Scenic Rim and Brisbane.
“We do some mapping of where people are coming in from, so we know there are people on the other side of Beaudesert who come here to do there shopping,” Mr Henwood said.
“A lot of guys coming from Yarrabilba, Flagstone and down from Park Ridge for the men’s mental health program.
“The further away from the city areas, the more demand there is on the outskirts – with the span from Flagstone through Jimboomba, Beaudesert and up around Yarrabilba where there is huge population growth happening and not necessarily infrastructure in place.”
Mr Henwood said the Impact team was able to “fill a void” left in the community.
“We have been able to… listen to the community and develop our programs that suit those needs.”
The centre runs mostly on volunteers. Curently there are about 35, but more are signing up every day.
“We try to make it a fun commitment,” Mr Henwood said.
“They are doing meaningful tasks for the community and it gives them a purpose.
“Some people a very people oriented, some want to be out the back – but it is very meaningful.
“We celebrate our volunteers.”
