Red Bag Appeal: Give a Little, Gift A Lot

Gift joy this

Too many Queenslanders risk sitting at an empty table by an empty Christmas tree. Children are already missing out on the joys of childhood, with parents unable to afford school camps, extra-curricular activities, and even skipping meals to feed them.*

Together, we can change that. The Red Bag Christmas Appeal gifts more than food; it gives hope, joy and Christmas magic to those in need.

How it works

I'd like to make this donation

Once Monthly Yearly

Please select a donation amount

$50

Support one family with a Red Bag this Christmas

$100

Give the gift of hope with Red Bags for two families this festive season

$200

Help make Christmas special with Red Bags for four families

$50

Support one family with a Red Bag this Christmas

$100

Give the gift of hope with Red Bags for two families this festive season

$200

Help make Christmas special with Red Bags for four families

$100

Give the gift of hope with Red Bags for two families this festive season

$200

Help make Christmas special with Red Bags for four families

$400

Provide Red Bags to eight families struggling to meet life's basic demands

Your Details

Individual Organisation

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

Phone *

Postal Address (enter manually)

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Town/Suburb

Postcode

State

Country

chevron_left

Payment Details

Credit Card

Donation Amount

$0.00

Cover platform costs

Total amount

Poverty in Australia rises to 1 in 7, with QLD rents up 41%
and households spending over 37% of their income on housing.^{^}

Help us reach our goal of 3,000 Red Bags and $100,000 in donations by sponsoring virtual bags or filling a Red Bag.

$0 raised

$100,000 Goal

$0 raised

$100,000 Goal

How you can gift joy this Christmas

With a $50 donation or a Red Bag filled with Christmas items like toys, decorations and special treats, you can help us bring the warmth and joy of the festive season to Queensland households.

Give a virtual bag

Your contribution goes a long way in providing a Red Bag to someone in need.

Give online now

Fill a Red Bag

From 27 Oct 2025, you can fill a Red Bag with Christmas goodies. See how it works.

How it works

Give your time

Volunteer at our Charity gift wrapping station at Westfield Chermside or help pack Red Bags.

Volunteer opportunities

Fill a Red Bag with joy this Christmas

How does it work?

1. Collect your bags from 27 Oct

Choose any registered Storage King location or WMQ service from Monday 27 October 2024.

2. Fill your bags

Full of Christmas essentials and goodies, or purchase a ‘virtual bag’ (donate the cost of a bag).
Need inspiration? Dowload the shopping list.

3. Return your bags

Drop your filled bags back to a registered Storage King location by Thursday 20 November.

4. Red Bags are collected

Red Bags are then picked up from all Storage King locations and taken to our warehouse.

5. Checked or re-packed

Our group of amazing corporate volunteers check all bags and repack if needed. We'll make sure every bag has an equal amount of essentials and goodies for Queenslanders in need. Click here to volunteer.

6. Distribution to community

From Monday 1st December, Red Bags are distributed through several WMQ services throughout the Christmas period, including our Emergency Relief Hub in Fortitude Valley, bringing hope and joy to those who need it most.

Spread the word!

Share this page with family, friends and work colleagues. Every share, mention, and donation brings us closer to our goal this Christmas. Thank you!

Opportunities are available for a range of corporate sponsorships of the Red Bag Appeal.

Please contact the fundraising department on 07 3621 4365 or fill out our online form to find out how your organisation can get behind this great initiative.

*Queensland Council of Social Service’s (QCOSS)
2024 Living Affordability Report

Among responses to QCOSS’ biannual Cost-of-Living Survey, housing, energy bills, food and transport were the leading categories of increased household costs.

During a cost-of-living crisis, the role of community organisations is critical.
Households are neglecting their health needs due to out-of-pocket costs, or are enduring extreme financial hardship to cover essential medical expenses.
Housing costs were the highest expenditure for each household, with all modelled households spending more than 37 per cent of their income on housing.
While energy rebates have been made available to households in Queensland, energy costs continue to cause financial stress on households.
Households are also struggling to meet out-of-pocket costs associated with their child’s schooling in light of competing financial demands.
Despite working longer hours and receiving a pay rise, people still fall behind increases in the cost-of-living.

^Poverty in Australia 2025: Overview report

The data is from the report Poverty in Australia 2025: Overview, released on 13 Oct 2025 by the Australian Council of Social Service, in partnership with the UNSW. This report is the lastest in the Poverty in Australia series, following publication of Poverty in Australia 2022: A snapshot in October 2022.

Poverty in Australia has risen to 3.7 million people, up from 3.3 million in the previous report.
761,000 children live below the poverty line
From June 2021 to June 2023, the median advertised rent for units rose from $486 per week to $680 in Sydney (40%), from $395 to $528 in Melbourne (34%) and from $394 to $554 in Brisbane (41%).
The proportion of low-income renters (the lowest 20% of earners) spending more than 30% of their income on rent increased from 52% in 2020–21 to 57% in 2022–23.

Supported by