FORMER restaurant and steak-house cook Judy Smith is one of the small army of volunteers keeping community-based services and organisations running in the Coffs Harbour region.

Without fanfare or plaudits Judy organises and gathers ingredients from various sources weekly and then prepares upwards of 30 meals plus assorted pastry treats in her home at Park Beach every Monday.

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The meals and treats are then distributed to local homeless residents at Pete’s Place drop-in centre in Earl Street, Coffs Harbour.

“If we have any left-over meals we keep them in the freezer as back-up.”

Originally from Tamworth, Judy has been in Coffs since 1999 and started up volunteering for the Salvation Army in 2000.

“I’m a person who doesn’t like to sit still,” she said.

“Besides, there are a lot of people out there who need help.”

During her eleven years with the Salvos in Coffs Harbour Judy worked her way up to second-in-charge but also found time to volunteer for other charities including the soup kitchen.

Judy then turned to feeding the homeless and began cooking and serving up meals for the homeless at Pete’s Place.

In those two years she’s seen a big overall rise in homelessness – mainly with women.

“There’s a lot more women now,” she said.

“And all ages of people from 17 up to their late 60s.”

“Some of the homeless are living in makeshift tarps wrapped around trees, some are camping in their cars,” she said.

“But they are very humble and appreciative.”

While displaced local residents can use facilities at the drop-in centre such as showers, toilets, food, laundry, advocacy services and referrals on week-days, it’s the lack of care on weekends and evenings that concerns Judy.

“When it rains they used to be able to get some cover at Pete’s Place,” Judy said.

“But since the erection of a fence they can’t get in out of the rain and stay dry.

“The water floods through everything and it’s a real mess,” she said.

With the increasing number of homeless and the added pressure on available services Judy plans to personally step up her efforts by getting a van fitted out to enable preparation and delivery of meals in the evenings.

“I want to get a van or a caravan and convert it into a mobile kitchen with gas hotplates and things so I can serve up warm meals, hamburgers at night,” she said.

“Some of the homeless are living in makeshift tarps wrapped around trees, in tents, some are camping in their cars,” she said.

In spite of their circumstances, she said, “They are very humble and appreciative.”

By Paul FOGARTY