Redlands Night Ninjas support homeless as cost of living rises

The Night Ninjas is a not for profit organisation supporting the homeless community in the Redlands with weekly dinner and breakfast feeds, phone check ins, living supplies and fundraising.

Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, the group helps people experiencing homelessness to help them get back on their feet.

Night Ninjas President Mitchell O'Connor said the volunteers worked day in and day out to keep the valuable service running.

"Quite often it is this group of people that are forgotten about in our community," he said.

"They are the most vulnerable and deserve an opportunity to access assistance when they need it most.

"Most of us are fortunate to only imagine how scary, confronting and dangerous this situation may be."

Mr O'Connor said the group had seen an increase in service demand since COVID-19, and rising interest rates and a housing crisis had led to more residents than ever seeking assistance.

"Last year we were able to assist 409 people at weekly night feeds. This is projected to be over 500 this year," he said.

"Phone teams fielded 637 enquiries for assistance ranging from meals, clothing and referral on to other organisations."

The cooking team also prepared 1564 meals, community breakfast team fed 70 students each week, and yearly drive teams delivered 150 Christmas Hampers and 100 School Needs Kits.

Mr O'Connor said most of the group's funding was mostly funded by the Redlands community and some local government and organisational grants.

"The nest things Redlands residents can do is follow our Facebook or Instagram page, this is how we communicate the most needed food donations weekly, and any other items," he said.

"The greatest donation that anyone can give us is their time. If people would like to volunteer, they can head over to our website and follow the links to volunteer."

Collection and donation points at Cleveland, Capalaba, Victoria Point and Redland Bay can be found on the Night Ninja's website.