Major Milestone
We've Signed the Lease for Our New Foothills Community Hub in Upwey!
Artist's impression: The new Foothills Community Hub development in Upwey Village, bringing expanded community services to the Dandenong Ranges
We're excited to share that Foothills Community Care has signed the lease for our new Community Hub, located in the heart of Upwey Village.
The Hub will be situated above Upwey IGA on Main Street, with rear access through the carpark and conveniently located across from the train station.
This prime location provides excellent accessibility, public transport options, and plenty of parking.
Stephen Barrington
Welcome to the New Foothills Community Hub
Across the Knox and Dandenong Ranges, more individuals and families than ever are facing food insecurity, isolation, and a lack of access to vital support. Every week, we see the need grow — for meals, safe spaces, and connection.
After 23 years of walking alongside our community, we've taken a bold step forward: opening a purpose-built Foothills Community Hub in the heart of Upwey. This new space will allow us to expand our services and reach more people with care, dignity, and hope.
Over the next 12 years, we aim to provide 1 million meals, offer wrap-around support six days a week, and create a central space where everyone is welcome — with food relief, women and family programmes, social enterprises, and volunteer pathways all under one roof.
To make this vision a reality, we need to raise $400,000 to fit out a commercial kitchen and upgrade our facilities. These funds will directly support the expansion of our programmes and services — ensuring no one in our community is left behind.
When asked about the vision for the new Hub, Stephen shared:
"Over the past 23 years, we have seen that the need in our community is growing faster than ever — more people are going hungry, feeling isolated, and struggling alone. The Foothills Community Hub is our response: a central, welcoming space to serve and distribute meals, offer support, and rebuild connection. We're inviting partners to help make this vision a reality — because real change happens when we do it together."Stephen Barrington — CEO
What We're Solving
A growing number of individuals and families in the Knox and Dandenong Ranges are facing food insecurity, social isolation, and limited access to holistic community support.
Specifically:
- Food insecurity — increasing demand for food relief and community meals
- Social disconnection — people lacking safe, welcoming spaces to connect and belong
- Limited access to support services — especially for vulnerable groups like women, children, and those experiencing hardship
- Space and capacity constraints — Foothills has outgrown its current facilities, limiting its ability to respond to community needs effectively
Together, we're creating a community hub where connection, dignity, and hope thrive.
As demand for food relief and community support skyrockets, Foothills Community Care is launching a new Community Hub in Upwey — a safe, central space to deliver 1 million meals over 12 years and provide wrap-around services that foster dignity, connection, and hope.
This is more than a building. It's a lifeline. But we can't do it without you. Join us today: donate, volunteer, or share our story.
a Community Where
No One Goes Hungry
and Everyone Belongs.
— Stephen Barrington, CEO
I invite you to be part of this journey with us.
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Strategic giving framework • 1,240+ major donors • 5 min read
Story
Why Our Local Community Requires a Community Hub | From vision to infrastructure
Families deserve dignified food relief, not emergency handouts. Current infrastructure limits capacity to 200 meals per week—yet demand is 10 times higher. The Upwey Community Hub solves this capacity constraint, transforming temporary relief into permanent community infrastructure.
James's Story
How community connection changes lives
*Name changed to protect privacy
When I first walked through the doors, I was struggling with social isolation and found it difficult to speak with others. I needed more than support. I needed connection.
The Op Shop became that lifeline. Through serving customers and processing donations, I found a welcoming space where I could rebuild my confidence at my own pace. Each interaction helped me rediscover my voice.
"Coming here gave me the social interaction I needed. I had problems with speaking, and here I was just able to talk to people. It helped me through the problems I had."
Today, I am back in full-time work, but I still volunteer here every Wednesday. I am part of a community that supported me when I needed it most.
Here is What We're Building
$400,000 Community Hub
The Upwey Community Hub creates five times our current capacity. Purpose-built facilities designed for community support and connection. More services reaching more people who need face to face connection and help.
Dinners
Space
Your Partnership today creates spaces where people like James can rebuild their lives.
What the Upwey Community Hub Will Offer
Donate
Transform lives in Yarra Ranges and Knox, creating immediate and measurable impact.
Your donation doesn't just feed families—it builds community infrastructure that transforms lives. Every dollar you contribute creates lasting impact through dignified food relief, community connection, and pathways out of crisis.
You break isolation, rebuild confidence, and help people discover they're not alone.
You provide daily nourishment, consistent care, and a place where everyone has a seat at the table.
You transform lives, rebuild futures, and create a community where everyone finds dignity and possibility.
Making the Hub Possible
To bring this vision to life, we need to fit out a commercial kitchen and upgrade our facilities — a project costing around $400,000. These upgrades will allow us to continue providing vital meals and food support, while expanding the range of programmes we offer to our community.
The work will happen in stages, with the Hub set to be fully up and running by early 2026.
Over the past 23 years, we have seen that the need in our community is growing faster than ever — more people are going hungry, feeling isolated, and struggling alone. The Foothills Community Hub is our response: a central, welcoming space to serve and distribute meals, offer support, and rebuild connection.
We're inviting partners to help make this vision a reality — because real change happens when we do it together.
Support the New Foothills Community Hub
Artist's impression of the new Foothills Community Hub development in Upwey
Your support builds something extraordinary
A place where every person matters, where connection transforms lives, where no one faces hardship alone.
There are investments that change everything. Not just meals on tables, but hope restored. Not just infrastructure, but the foundation of belonging.
When you invest in the Foothills Hub, you'll deliver more than meals. You'll create the systems, spaces, and support that help people rebuild their lives with dignity, reconnect with community, and discover pathways out of hardship. Your contribution echoes through generations.
Ready to Make Your Investment?
Tax Deductible: Foothills Community Care Inc. (ABN 73 668 498 585) has DGR status
Every contribution matters because every person matters. Your donation creates real change in real lives, right here in our community.
You'll provide immediate support to your neighbours facing hardship, delivering nourishing meals, meaningful connection, and pathways to stability and belonging.
See Your Impact
Click an amount below to discover how your contribution transforms lives in our community
$35 connects 7 people each week. They find more than a meal—they find someone who truly sees them and welcomes them with dignity.
Complete Your Donation
Secure online processing with your instant tax-deductible receipt sent straight to your email
Your Donation is Safe & Secure: Bank-grade encryption • PCI compliant • Card details never stored • Instant tax receipt
ABN 73 668 498 585, is endorsed by the ATO as an Income Tax Exempt Charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
Please Consider Direct Deposit
For all donations over $1,000, your direct deposit maximises impact by reducing transaction fees—meaning more of your contribution goes directly to supporting our community.
Support The Hub via direct deposit
Your contribution helps us build a stronger community
Direct Deposit Information
Bank Account Details
If you'd like a receipt for your direct bank donation, simply email us your details. We'll need your full name, postal address, donation amount, and transaction date. You'll find our contact information in the section below.
Cheque Contributions
Please make cheques payable to Foothills Community Care Inc. and mail to: PO Box 10, Ferntree Gully VIC 3156, Australia
We're Here to Help
Have questions about donations, investment opportunities, tax receipts, or other ways you can support the Hub? We'd love to hear from you.
Tax Receipt Requests
Made a direct deposit and need a receipt? Email us with your full name, postal address, donation amount, and transaction date. We'll take care of the rest.
Email Us
Please include your name, contact details, and how we can help. We'll respond within two business days.
If you have questions, we're here to help.
We encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have about donations, investment opportunities, or other ways to support the Upwey Community Hub Campaign.
Email Us
Kindly provide us with your name and contact information, as well as details regarding the ways in which we can be of assistance to you. We aim to get back to you within two business days.
Tax Receipt Requests
Made a direct deposit and need a receipt? Email us with your full name, postal address, donation amount, and transaction date. We'll take care of the rest.
Invest
Build transformative community infrastructure with verified returns
Strategic infrastructure investment creates permanent community capacity. Your investment builds physical facilities that generate measurable social value year after year—verified through Australian social accounting standards.
Let's build something meaningful
Choose how you'd like to contribute to building transformative community infrastructure
INVEST IN THE HUB
200 hours contact time (÷ $25)
400 hours contact time (÷ $25)
1,000 hours contact time (÷ $25)
2,000 hours contact time (÷ $25)
"When working families have to choose between rent and food, that's not just a social problem—it's an economic problem that affects every business in Knox."
- Meals: $5.00 per meal (includes ingredients, preparation, service)
- Contact Hours: $25.00 per hour (Fair Work Award rates for community support)
- Social Value: 6.11× SROI multiplier (511% validated return)
- Value Components: Healthcare savings ($2.37), Crisis prevention ($2.64), Volunteer mobilisation ($0.77) per $1 invested
Volunteer
20 founding positions available | Skills training included
Join the founding team building Community Hub. Gain professional hospitality and community support skills whilst creating transformative infrastructure. Limited positions available in kitchen operations, café service, trade support, and community connections.
Let's build something meaningful
Choose how you'd like to contribute to building transformative community infrastructure
VOLUNTEER WITH US
20 Founding Positions — Skills Training Included
Thank You for Changing Lives
What you've just done matters. In our community, someone's life just became a little easier, a little brighter, a little more hopeful—because of you.
Here's How Else You Can Help
There are meaningful ways to support our community hub. Whether through investment, volunteering, or partnership, your involvement creates lasting change.
Investor Information
Thinking about a major investment? Discover how your contribution creates lasting change, the recognition you'll receive, and the partnership journey ahead.
View DetailsInvestment Enquiry
Ready to explore investment opportunities? Submit your details and we'll reach out to discuss how we can work together to strengthen our community.
Submit EnquiryVolunteer With Us
Want to get hands-on? Your time matters as much as financial support. Join us in building this hub and serving your community directly.
Get InvolvedMake a Donation to the Hub
Contributions help us extend our reach and provide more days of community care work for those facing hardship.
Donate Now