'Everyone has their bad day': The in-demand Wollongong food van serving free meals

The van arrives and Stephanie MacLeod and her crew immediately get to work, setting up tables filled with fruit and vegetables, warming up the home-cooked pasta and preparing hampers for those in need.

They ask for nothing in return, and give out as much as they can, until they run out, which happens all too often.

"We make 50 hampers, then we usually have to make extras, we're normally feeding about 60 to 80 people a night," Ms MacLeod said.

"We just don't physically get enough food to be able to make any more."

The hampers will change every week based on what Kind Hearts can get their hands on but can consist of fruit, bakery products and snacks.

On the night this reporter spent with Kind Hearts they were able to include microwaveable meals, some of which were handed back as the recipient simply did not have access to a microwave.

"A lot of people don't have cooking facilities, so like you've seen tonight that people are giving back things because they don't have the facilities for things.

"The main thing is to actually get them stuff they can eat straight away, snack food, cold pizzas, stuff like that."

Kind Hearts Illawarra sets up two nights a week on Tuesday and Thursday, giving out hot meals on Tuesday and dinner and groceries on Thursday.

Ms MacLeod says the people who Kind Hearts help are "wonderful people" who have fallen on hard times.

"Everyone has their bad day ... there's that many times we've been here and given out the last hamper or the last meal, and then someone else turns up and they will halve their meal or give it away.

"All these guys are going through really tough times but you wouldn't know a lot of them are really trying their hardest to do what they can to be a good person, but the system and society let them down a lot."

Kind Hearts is supported by local businesses with donations from businesses such as Oak Flats Patisserie, Cruizing Red Cafe and Oz Harvest donating items.

Crown Central Subway franchisee Peter Johnston gives cookies to the group after noticing the van one night.

"I just do it because I figured you can help people out," Mr Johnston said.

"I can see there's a bit of a need, obviously I saw when I went past and you see with your own eyes."

With winter fast approaching however, food is not the only thing on Kind Heart's minds with warm clothing becoming vital.

"Socks, beanies and all sorts of stuff to wear ... if we can't get people donating them then I'll just have to purchase them," Ms MacLeod said.

"I'm out of tarps.

"Tarps are a very popular thing, little tarps so they're not laying on the ground ... what people need to just stay warm and dry."

To help out Kind Hearts Illawarra Joshua Cole from Spicy Ink decided to run a charity event, Arts To Hearts.

The event will be at Wollongong's Juniper Bar on May 16, and is free to attend, but all money raised on the night from the raffle at the door will go to Kind Hearts Illawarra.

The raffle's top prize will be a full-day session at Spicy Ink, with the winners to be announced the next day via Instagram Live and local artists will be selling their art on the night as well.

Mr Cole decided to run the charity event to help Kind Hearts in their work.

"I feel like a lot of it is taken for granted," Mr Cole said.

"Having a roof over your head and just simply being warm and having a warm meal at the end of every night. You probably don't even second guess it."