COLES Australia is beefing up its commitment to regional young people.
The supermarket has teamed with Artesian Foundation, organisers of the Stock Up for Hope Charity Cattle Drove, to launch a beef scheme that promises to deliver thousands of dollars to SU Queensland's school chaplaincy program, which brings hope and care to thousands of young people every week.
From today until September 17, more than 150 Coles stores across Queensland will donate 50 cents from each sale of Drovers pride Beef to the Stock Up for Hope Initiative.
The scheme has been exclusively launched through Queensland Country Life and www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au.
The initiative coincides with the fourth charity cattle drove making its way from Aramac to Longreach.
Stock Up for Hope is designed to build the hope and resilience of young people in the bush through access to a school chaplain. School chaplains are Australia's largest youth worker network and rely on community support as they provide an objective, caring presence and listening ear to students in need.
Coles general manager for Queensland, Mark Scates called on shoppers to purchase Drovers Pride beef to support the cause.
"There are more than 100,000 students across Queensland without access to a school chaplain - and 90 per cent of those students are living in regional and rural areas where there are extra pressures associated with living off the land," he said.
"The timing of this initiative and the drove which draws attention to the cause has never been more critical as chaplains deal with young people whose families are wrestling with the often devastating affects of the drought and deflated cattle market."
Drovers Pride is produced by long-standing Coles supplier, Australian Country Choice, which is a fourth generation family business with properties across Queensland.
Stock Up for Hope director Duncan Brown welcomed Coles' support.
"Through partnerships with companies like Coles, we can offer youth in the bush greater access to school chaplains to help them through tough times such as family-breakdown, low self-esteem and even suicide tendencies," he said.
"These struggles are often heightened in rural towns, with feelings of isolation, pressure from the drought and other rural-specific challenges - young people may not understand it but they experience it all the same. The stories of pain but also hope are flowing in from our chaplains at the moment - it's inspiring."
Coles has increased its support for the charity since its involvement in 2011 by becoming major sponsors of the event in 2013 and along with the proceeds from the Drovers Pride beef sales have delivered an entire pantry of food and beverages that will serve over 100 corporate guests and support teams for the three week period.
