IPSWICH’S most vital food lifeline is in a race against the clock, with just 30 days to survive.
The Ipswich Food Barn, which has supported thousands of struggling families for more than 14 years, has been told it must pack up and leave its home.
The shock announcement has sent heartbreak through the community, with volunteers and clients saying the service has carried them through their darkest moments from floods and homelessness to domestic violence and sudden financial crisis.
Division 4 Councillor David Martin said the loss would hit hard.
“It’ll make things tough for a lot of people that are already doing it tough,” he said.
“A lot of people rely on them for cheap food and the free produce out the front.
“It’ll make it even tougher for families who are already struggling.”
In a public statement, Food Barn described the news as “incredibly heavy”, saying the decision was out of its control.
For more than a decade, the service has provided far more than food relief, offering low-cost groceries, clothing, furniture, household essentials, showers, laundry services and even full home fit-outs for people escaping domestic violence.
The organisation was also a frontline responder during the 2011, 2013 and 2022 floods, when demand for emergency support surged.
Food Barn is now desperately searching for a new place to go; somewhere big enough to hold the food, clothing and essentials it gives out every day.
But without the money for a proper lease, it simply can’t afford to rent a commercial space on its own.
As the community absorbs the news, Goodness Street Life Enterprises has confirmed it is already expanding operations to help fill the gap.
Pastor Fred Muys, who has worked in emergency relief since 2001 and is the CEO of Goodness Street Life Enterprises, said any Food Barn closure would be a “big loss” for Ipswich.
“Food Barn has provided ready access to free or low-cost food for hundreds of people every week,” he said.
“They’ve helped hundreds of families, and that’s going to leave an enormous gap for any organisation to try and fill.”
Pastor Fred said demand for food relief had sharply increased in recent months due to rising fuel prices, housing pressures and the broader cost-of-living crisis.
In anticipation of growing need and knowing Food Barn’s building had been on the market, Goodness Street Life Enterprises has already expanded its capacity.
“We have dramatically increased our capacity and our working hours so we can handle increased demand,” he said.
“We’ve knocked down walls to create more space, increased our hours to five-and-a-half days a week, spoken to suppliers about increasing stock, and we’re trying to get the word out that if you need food, Goodness Street Life Enterprises is here to help.”
The organisation is in the process of acquiring a property in the Ipswich CBD, which will become a future community centre and food distribution hub.
While Goodness Street Life Enterprises has no plans for a merger with Food Barn, Pastor Fred said he was willing to be part of wider discussions about the future of food relief in Ipswich.
“In the short term, the important thing is getting food to families,” he said.
Food Barn is urging anyone with leads on a suitable space – or anyone who can help – to come forward.
As the organisation said: “Ipswich has always been a community that finds a way when it matters most.
“And we believe that still holds true.”
