At the coalface of the Shoalhaven's housing crisis, support services are facing the same challenges: client lists are growing rapidly, locals are doing it tough, and their teams are flat out helping everyone in need.
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This week, 78 community services joined forces to bring every essential homelessness support under one roof, at the second annual Thrive Together Fair in Bomaderry.
Offering everything from groceries and toiletries, to legal and financial advice, health checks and more, Thrive Together was a chance for Shoalhaven locals to connect with any service they needed.
The event was organised by Shoalhaven City Council's community capacity building team.
They aim to help residents experiencing homelessness with their immediate needs, while also ensuring the council advocates for the locals doing it tough.
Marsha Makary, member of the capacity building team and homelessness specialist, said the Shoalhaven had a wide network of services doing frontline work with those who are homeless.
There was also a groundswell of community members wanting to help - businesses and individuals who donated to the fair.
"Everybody in this area is genuinely so passionate about the issue; they genuinely care and come together to try and address it," Ms Makary said.
"[Homelessness] is really on the forefront of everyone's minds."
Essential services, essential conversations
When Susan and Hamilton Gervaise were last on the South Coast, their Fresh Start Missions van was providing hot showers, laundry facilities, and meals to people displaced by bushfires.
They returned for the Thrive Together Fair to do exactly the same for Shoalhaven residents in need.
Usually the husband and wife team can be found around the Illawarra, where the demand for their van is huge.
In any given week they will help an average of 55 people, and they know there's a need for more services like theirs.
While the washing machines spin, they sit down and eat with anyone who needs a meal and have a chat.
It's the kind of sustenance which can make a world of difference.
Mr Gervaise said one of the most pressing demands in the community is for a good meal, as the cost of food keeps rising.
"There are so many services and every one of them is busy, it just shows you how much need there is," he said.
"Off the back of COVID, we're seeing more people are hungry - they're not always homeless, they're just hungry.
"It definitely is because it's just so expensive."
Finding solutions to the big picture issues
While the Thrive Together Fair was primarily a day for connecting locals with supports, the community capacity builders were also out there building a network and arming themselves with knowledge.
Community members affirmed to the team that affordable and social housing is top of the priority list, and the Shoalhaven simply needs more of it. Public transport and the rising cost of utilities and food are also major concerns.
Ms Makary said that while services are busily meeting people's most immediate needs, her team is finding ways for council to tackle the big issues around homelessness.
"A lot of the services are busy, they're flat out. There's a lot happening and there aren't as many resources as we'd like [to go around].
"While they're trying to do frontline work, they're also trying to address a bigger issue... this is where I try to see what can be done and help them out, because they've got so much going on to begin with."
Previously this has included initiatives like an affordable housing strategy and community plans, government advocacy and chasing more funding, and the Shoalhaven homelessness taskforce.
The latter focuses on a community-led response.
"It's not just about helping individuals, it's about helping services and the sector as a whole to get the resources they need to address issues," she said.
"Everyone really wants to help ad people have brilliant ideas... rather than working in silos, we can come together and think of a bigger plan, work together and address homelessness on a grander scale."