Every evening, 81-year-old volunteer Helen Knobbs arrives at the Hawkesbury Community Kitchen to prepare meals and set up for a 6 pm opening, serving anyone who walks through the doors before packing and cleaning at the end of the night.
It has been her routine for the last 35 years and her dedication has never wavered. Compassionate, selfless and a mentor to many, Helen was recognised for her extraordinary commitment when she received the Hawkesbury Local Hero Award on Australia Day, presented by Hawkesbury City Council. She has also received the Outer Western Sydney Zone Senior Volunteer 2025 Award.
All those years ago, it was her friend Narelle who first asked Helen to consider helping out at the community kitchen – and the rest, as they say, is history. Even Helen admits she has surprised herself by staying on for more than three decades.
“Just seeing the need in the community and wanting to help where I could kept me committed. It’s really just been a constant in my life, because the need never disappears,” says Helen, a Riverstone resident.
From operating out of temporary premises – where meals were prepared and packed into takeaway containers for distribution at St. Peter’s in Richmond and even a condemned building in Windsor – to its current permanent home in Windsor, Helen has witnessed the community kitchen evolve significantly.
She says patrons’ needs have changed over the years. While alcohol dependency was more common in the early days, she now sees more people facing substance misuse and mental health difficulties.
“The cost of living has become more of an issue, so we’re seeing a wider variety of people come through than when I first started,” says Helen. Volunteering has been a humbling experience, a reminder that anyone can find themselves in the patrons’ position.
Talking about challenges in the kitchen, Helen says she has had patrons lashing out, which she attributes to personal crises. On the other hand, some former patrons have returned as volunteers after turning their lives around – a full circle moment she finds most rewarding.
Helen has been on the board for most of her time, rostered volunteers, and been a volunteer herself. “I have seen many students continue to volunteer even after completing their required hours just because they see value in it. It gives me hope for the future,” she says.
According to her, community kitchens play a vital role as there will always be people in need and this place fills a hole in society. Community, she says, is something that people can rely on, a group where everyone plays their part.
For those considering volunteering, Helen’s advice: ‘just go for it’. As for her plans to slow down, she says “I’m only 81, I still have years in me.”
The Hawkesbury Community Kitchen is located at 38 A Macquarie St, Windsor.
