Where Australians can take home a trolley of staples for just $25
As Australians struggle through an uphill battle with the cost of living, one retailer is offloading trolleys of groceries for just $25.
Most Australians would be hard pressed leaving any supermarket at the moment with a trolley’s worth of food that costs less than $100.
A retailer in Queensland however has been offloading sizeable bundles of groceries for just $25 – helping struggling households in their battle against the cost of living crisis.
The scheme is run by Lighthouse Care which has two retail outlets, one in Loganholme and another in Hillcrest, and also offers delivery to online customers in southeast Queensland.
The $25 trolleys come pre-filled with essential food and groceries, and each day contain a different variety of items depending on what the non-profit has managed to purchase at a low cost.
“Our biggest goal is just to provide tangible hope to people that are doing it really tough,” co-founder Debbie Hill told news.com.au.
“It’s a really challenging time and the struggle is real for so many people.”
Mrs Hill, who founded the organisation with her husband Ron in 2004 after experiencing a breakdown, said the cost of living crisis had seen an influx of a new wave of people.
“There’s been a huge volume of people who have never needed this type of support before but really need help,” she said.
“There’s a level of fear in the community and people are worried about potentially even losing their homes.”
The $25 trolleys typically contain staples like bread, milk, butter, eggs, fruit and vegetables, and depending on availability, other items like yoghurt, cheese, chips, frozen food, juice, soft drink and heath food.
It’s estimated the organisation has distributed about 400,000 trolleys since being established about 20 years ago.
“As heartbreaking as it is, we are always encouraged to hear stories from families who say they wouldn’t be able to survive without this service, because we know we are truly making a difference in our community,” its site says.
The organisation attracted a wave of fanfare this week when it featured in a TikTok explaining how its $25 trolleys worked.
“The trolleys are pre packaged by the staff so you don’t really have a choice, but you can ask to have a look before you purchase,” TikTok mum behind the CyanSocial-Krystal account said.
“What I gather is that they do have the same essentials that are always in there, which is bread, milk and vegetables. The other items are just what they have in stock.”
The retailer’s shelves are also open to the public, with all money made being directed straight back into the shop to support the community.
“They do encourage people to come in and purchase from the store because that means they then can use those funds for others that are in need,” the creator said.
Hundreds were excited by the prospect of getting a load of groceries for under $30 and begged the organisation to open something similar in other parts of the country.
“They need this in Sydney,” one wrote, with another saying, “We need this in Perth, WA”, and someone else: “Melbourne needs this”.
“I’ve volunteered there before, [it’s] a really great place,” one Queenslander said in a comment.
Mrs Hill said the organisation would need a significant financial boost if it were to expand in other parts of the country.
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