Now life's a 'feast' for Jeff - thanks to your generosity

“Some people feel stressed when they walk into a kitchen but for me it’s the opposite,” says Jeff. “I feel the anxiety drain from my body when I enter a kitchen. I love it.”

When Jeff* came to Hutt St Centre, he was full of doubt and fear after a troubled childhood in state care and many years battling rejection, loneliness and ill-health.

As an adult he met a partner in a regional town and began working as head cook of a large hotel. Having discovered his passion for food and cooking, Jeff felt he had found his place. They had a daughter together and he was content. But when his daughter was just a few years old, his relationship broke down. Jeff no longer felt welcome in the community and returned to Adelaide.

With no formal qualifications, work was hard to find. He missed his daughter terribly. He faced serious health issues, including a throat cancer scare and spent a lot of time in and out of hospital. Jeff was sliding towards homelessness before he turned to Hutt St for support, meeting Case Manager, Harry*.

Harry discovered Jeff’s passion for food and invited him to attend our community cooking program. Back in the kitchen, Jeff’s confidence returned. He soon led one of the cooking classes himself, with support from volunteers, then found casual work at events like Tasting Australia, working under Michelin-star chefs. Other workers there saw his skill - and passion - in the kitchen, and this rolled into more event work, until he was offered an ongoing role in a café.

Now with regular café work and an apprenticeship underway, to provide him with formal qualifications, Jeff’s next goal is to find a two bedroom unit so he can finally have his daughter come to stay. It’s a whole new life for Jeff.

There are so many people like Jeff who are facing homelessness and need your support. We are so fortunate to have big-hearted people like you to help us.

 Back to Word from the Street, Autumn 2020

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of people who have kindly allowed us to share their story