What is Food for Life?

Started in 2012, Food for Life Community Care began as a passion project of founders Julie and Murray with the goal of creating "An affordable supermarket where families or individuals could shop for groceries at an affordable price."

Food for Life served the local community in Sydney for five years before moving to the Illawarra area in 2017. The project has since expanded, providing work experience for volunteers and adding an online store with delivery options to cater to a wider area.

In early 2026 Real Life Community Group (RLCG) a disability support not-for-profit, assumed the management of Food for Life due to an unfortunate illness with the founders. RLCG aims to further expand the operations of Food for Life Illawarra and continue to provide the community with an affordable grocery store alternative and follow the vision of its founders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can shop at Food for Life?

Anyone! Food for Life and its online store are open to the public. You do not need to be financially struggling, have a pension, or a disability to shop with us.

Where does Food for Life get its groceries?

Food for Life sources stock from multiple wholesalers around Australia. We purchase groceries that are long date, short date or just past date. Our primary partner is Foodbank, but we get much of our fresh produce from local businesses in the community.

Is the food still good to eat?

Yes! We follow government guidelines regarding "Use by" and "Best Before" dates. These key points of the guidelines state:

"Foods that must be eaten before a certain time for health or safety reasons should be marked with a use by date. Foods should not be eaten after the use by date and can’t legally be sold after this date because they may pose a health or safety risk."
"Most foods have a best before date... Foods that have a best before date can legally be sold after that date provided the food is fit for human consumption."
"Foods that have a shelf life of two years or longer do not need to be labelled with a best before date... as they may retain their quality for many years and are likely to be consumed well before they spoil."

Most of what we sell is within its best before date range. Occasionally, we get stock that comes with a letter from the supplier confirming that the product is still fit for consumption past that date. Those products are clearly marked on shelves and priced accordingly.

Food such as fresh meat or frozen meals are frozen by us well before their use by date. This extends its shelf life, which allows us to offer a constant and varied supply of meals. All meat and frozen meals should be consumed within 6 months of their frozen date. We do not sell meat/frozen meals that has been frozen longer than 6 months.

Do you sell fruit and vegetables?

Yes! We offer a growing selection pre-bagged fruits and vegetables as well as a "Fruit and Veg Box". Our produce comes from Sydney markets but we are working on sourcing from the local area instead.

What's in a Family Hamper?

We offer a weekly rotating list of hampers that have all the food essentials you need at the fraction of a regular supermarket's price. It usually includes:

4 to 5 main meals, (includes meat & meal kits)
Groceries
Treats
A Fresh fruit and veg box
1-2 loaves of Bread
Fresh Milk 2L

Typical Supermarket Value $120+

Our price $65-90

How often can I shop?

You can shop with us as often as you'd like.

Is there a limit to the number of hampers I can purchase?

You can purchase as many hampers or groceries as you want!

Where and when can I get my online order?

We have a variety of pick-up and delivery options available. To view all our current offerings please go to our Order Pickup Locations page.

How can I pay?

We currently accept the following payment methods:

Online via EFTPOS, Visa or Mastercard
Online via PayPal
Pay at collection with cash or card

NOTE: If you are unable to pay the full amount owed for your order at the specified time of collection/delivery we reserve the right to cancel your order and restrict your ability to use the "Pay on Collection" method in the future.