Beau Haywood is a local on a mission to help those in need through his not-for-profit initiative, Nourish Street.
With the assistance of his partner, Jenny Ignacio and three children, Kane, Zion and Isaac, Beau has been providing food, meals, tents, blankets and camping equipment to those without homes in the Moreton Bay area.
He said the idea for the family-run initiative came to him during a drive through Redcliffe earlier this year.
“I was shocked to see how many homeless people there were,” he said. “I said to my partner, ‘I’m going to do something about this’. She responded, ‘What?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ And eight weeks on, here we are!
“The need out there is huge, with five to seven new faces weekly, on average. I started off helping 80-odd and now at approximately 110 people.
“I know almost all by name and everyone is extremely grateful for the personalised assistance we give.”
Donations please
Nourish Street relies on community donations and their own savings to provide freshly cooked meals like spaghetti bolognese, sausages and stir-fries. They receive donated food from licensed outlets and recently welcomed a chef who contributes 100 meals every Saturday.
“This week we have made over 250 meals ourselves and provided approximately 350 meals and countless loaves of donated bread, over 50 bags of groceries, countless blankets and around 10 tents and four gas stoves,” Beau said.
Beau’s personal experience with addiction and homelessness drives his passion for helping others in similar situations. He said he reached rock bottom before realising something had to change and he checked into a rehabilitation facility.
“My partner took me back and she is very shocked and supportive of what I’m trying to achieve,” he said. “She really is the backbone of this cause. She’s an angel and really deserves any credit as I’m not in it for recognition. I just want to help.”
Corporate Sponsorship
Nourish Street is currently seeking corporate sponsorship to continue providing the service to the growing homeless community.
“Until then, we are relying on community donations, which is tough as we know it’s a tight time for everyone at the moment,” Beau said.
Donations of perishable and non-perishable food items, camping equipment, blankets, cat and dog food, canned food and toiletries can be dropped off at Bray Park or collected by Nourish Street. To make an online donation visit their GoFundMe.
For more information follow Nourish Street – Brisbane on Facebook or contact Beau on 0412 336 628.
Main photo: Isaac Haywood (5), Kane Haywood (18), Zion Haywood (16), Jenny Ignacio, Beau Haywood and Nourish Street mascot, Mack
This story appeared in the June 2024 issue of the North Lakes Guide.
