Hunter Food Relief Centre opens at Cessnock Uniting Church

Hunter Food Relief Centre is operating at the Cessnock Uniting Church hall two days a week.

Its mission is to prepare and distribute food to those who are doing it tough, no matter their backstory.

The centre is coordinated by Georgina Grine, who started cooking meals for local people in need at her home in October last year, after the closure of Cessnock-based outreach service Hunter Hands of Hope.

"The guy who called me, Geoff, was homeless himself," she said.

"He was taking meals to homeless people - he knew where they all lived, under the bridges - and to elderly people.

"I thought if he can do it, what am I doing?

"Friends started helping out after I put a call out on Facebook. We started a group and it grew from there - we were cooking about 60 to 150 meals a week."

Ms Grine - who previously ran the Log Press Café before going into the mining industry - is enjoying cooking for others again.

"People drop off their donations, and then it's like 'Ready Steady Cook' - I have to come up with a meal," she said.

Ms Grine said the response from the community has been overwhelming. "So many people in the Cessnock community want to help. It's been amazing," she said.

While in the process of setting up as a registered charity, the floods hit northern NSW and Ms Grine and a team of volunteers delivered a truckload of donations to the small town of Coraki.

"It has been pretty busy, but definitely worth it," she said.

Hunter Food Relief Centre officially opened at the church hall on April 19.

The centre is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it doesn't overlap with long-running service Soupz On (which runs in the TAFE grounds on Friday, Saturday and Monday nights).

"We did not want to step on their toes, so we operate on the days they are closed. We're sharing the load," Ms Grine said.

Cessnock Uniting Church's Reverend Neil Smith said the partnership with the food relief centre has inspired the congregation.

"The church had been looking for the opportunity to connect with the community, and we heard that George and others had been cooking in their homes and looking to find a space," he said.

"We had a hall that was only being used for a couple of hours a week. We took the idea to the congregation and it was unanimously supported.

"It's an absolute gift. This is inspiring people that we can do things when we have enthusiastic and capable people to help us."

Ms Grine said there has also been a fantastic response from the people who use the service, and that everyone is welcome.

"It's a safe place - people can come and sit down and have a meal, have a chat and listen to music," she said.

"We will not judge you.

"If people are going through a hard time, we are happy to help - all we ask is that, when they're able to, they pay it forward."

Hunter Food Relief Centre runs at the Cessnock Uniting Church hall on Tuesdays from 9am to 1pm, and Thursdays from 12pm to 3pm. The church also offers free afternoon tea on Wednesdays from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.

If you'd like to donate some items to the pantry or volunteer your time, call 0406 985 369 or find 'Hunter Food Relief Centre' on Facebook.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: