The Dunedin Seventh Day Adventist Church member serves free meals from the caravan at the Kensington Oval every Sunday morning, and she was pleased to see a particularly festive turnout for their Christmas Eve dish-up.
As a special treat, the caravan was also giving away sleeping bags, boxes of cereal and milk.
"Our main priority is the homeless, but then we open it up to anybody who comes — those who are struggling a wee bit, anybody who wants to be part of the community and have a chat with people there without judgement."
However, she and her fellow volunteers were sad to see the weekly gatherings growing since they started three years ago.
"We’ve had a lot more than normal today. There’s a lot of new faces.
"I don’t know why — maybe it’s because there’s more need, or maybe it’s because more people are learning that it’s here."
Either way, it was definitely getting busier, which was sad, she said.
"It’s nice that everyone is sharing in the Christmas spirit, and we’ve had so many people stop by and contribute to the food we’ve got today."
Dunedin resident Stephen Thompson said he was recently released following a two-year prison sentence, and was humbled by the support from the caravan.
"These guys are heaven-sent angels, the lot of them.
"I’m absolutely blown away by the generosity of these people.
"They’re helping me get back on my feet."
