Employees at Probe CX's Maroochydore contact centre have packed 2,253 nutritious food packs for Sunshine Coast children who arrive at school without enough to eat, as part of an ongoing partnership with local charity Inclusive Kids.
Probe CX volunteers packing food packs for the Fuel for School initiative
The effort comes as food insecurity continues to place pressure on Queensland families. According to Foodbank Queensland, 22 per cent of households were experiencing hunger as of November 2025, up from 19 per cent the previous year, and one in seven (14 per cent) were going to school hungry without breakfast or lunch.
On the Sunshine Coast, the need is particularly visible in schools, where an estimated 9,000 children and young people start the school day with nothing in their lunchbox. Rising living costs, housing pressure and family instability mean more local families are struggling to cover the basics. For children, going without breakfast or lunch can affect far more than their stomach. Teachers report it can show up as trouble concentrating, difficulty managing emotions and pulling away from the class.
In response, the Probe CX Maroochydore team has teamed up with Inclusive Kids to run monthly volunteering sessions as part of the Fuel for School program. During each session, team members prepare nutritious, ready-to-eat packs that schools can distribute discreetly to students who need them, helping support hundreds of school children across the region.
Probe CX is an Australian customer experience organisation with a contact centre located in Maroochydore. The company employs approximately 200 people from the region.
Probe CX and Maroochydore locals John Mills, Rebecca Walpole and Marni Tracey led the initiative. Contact Centre Manager John Mills, said the initiative is an important way for the Probe CX team to look after its own community and contribute where support is needed close to home.
"Our team lives and works on the Sunshine Coast, so these are kids in our own community," said Mr Mills. "It is a simple, practical way to help, and knowing this initiative means a child can focus in class or does not feel left out at lunchtime makes every session worthwhile. Our people keep putting their hands up for it, and that says a lot about them and our culture at Probe CX – helping people is what we do, so it’s great to be able to do that within our own community".
Inclusive Kids General Manager Clint Lovell said local business support was central to keeping the program running. "Programs like this only work because of the collective effort of volunteers and community partners," he said. "The commitment from the Probe CX team month after month makes a real, measurable difference to children who might otherwise fall through the cracks."
Probe CX is actively hiring Customer Service Representative roles at our Maroochydore site. Explore open roles and apply today.
