Moruya woman Nicky Axisa knows what it's like to live rough. At 15 years old, she was pregnant and had no home.
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"There was a time where I needed shelter, I needed somewhere to go. In the end, I was very lucky that a family friend took me in," she said.
Sarah O'Riley, on the other hand, grew up in the "very privileged" mining town of Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, and had never witnessed homelessness.
When she arrived in Sydney and saw men living in train stations in tattered suits, she was "a wreck".
"I just could not believe the conditions that people were living in," she said.
The two women, now living in the Eurobodalla, have turned their distress into action and have teamed up to deliver food, blankets and warm clothing directly to those in need around Moruya and Batemans Bay.
The service, the "Moruya Street Kitchen" will be inaugurated with a free BBQ for those in need between 3.30-5.30pm on Sunday, July 28, at the River Park rotunda in Moruya.
Everyone's got this stigma of homelessness that it's drunks and alcoholics, but it's actually victims of domestic violence, kids from abused homes or people with medical issues.
- Sarah O'Riley
Ms Axisa said there was a stigma associated with people who didn't have a home, and others weren't aware how easily homelessness could happen.
"All my life I've lived week-to-week ... it's a struggle. You miss one bill one week and it takes you six weeks to catch up," she said.
"With the stigma, they don't want to come out and show everybody this is how they're living. There's a lot of pride - men, especially.
"If they haven't attended a Campbell Page appointment, they're cut off. What do they do in the meantime?"
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Ms O'Riley said people didn't realise "it's a slippery slope" in the region, with housing affordability "the main issue".
"There are just no houses for them to go to," she said.
"Either the rent's too high or there's no housing available.
"You look at people with beach houses that don't want to rent out their house. It's their holiday home, so although there are houses here, they're not rented houses, or if they are rented houses, it's too expensive.
"Everyone's got this stigma of homelessness that it's drunks and alcoholics but it's actually victims of domestic violence, kids from abused homes or people with medical issues.
"By the time they pay their travel from here to Canberra or Sydney, they've got no money left to pay rent, that's their whole pension gone."
She said for many people, there is no such thing as a disposable income.
The pair said many people had contributed to the cooking that would be served at the BBQ.
"The community has made this happen," Ms O'Riley said. "If they didn't give, we'd have nothing to give."
They are hoping the public can donate non-perishable items like milk, cereal, tea bags, coffee, Milo, toiletries, soups, noodles or food vouchers to the food drive.
The food drive drop-off location in Batemans Bay is at the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner office at 33C Orient St.
Contact the "Moruya Street Kitchen" Facebook page or email moruyastreetkitchen@gmail.com to find out where you can donate in Moruya, or for more information.
