The man behind the van is Matt George, a member of the Salvation Army who has been running the van every week for the past 12 months.

"People know we'll be out every Tuesday whether it be freezing cold or pouring rain, we haven't missed a Tuesday yet," Mr George said.

He believes consistency is key to showing our most vulnerable citizens that they are important, and that they have someone they can rely on.

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The van was started in 2020 at the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic, when it was feared residents on the street would be left behind.

"We realised there was a pretty big necessity to have a presence out there because there were so many people who were isolated and alone, especially our most vulnerable - homeless people," Mr George said.

Joined by a small group of volunteers, including regulars Ned Jones and Russell Cocks who were working away in the kitchen this week, Mr George drives to local spots to distribute hot meals, provided by former citizen of the year Lynne Graham's Carevan, and essential items.

In donated backpacks, volunteers pack pouches filled with feminine hygiene products for the women, as well as bars of soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs and other items that provide a touch of dignity for those in a fraught situation.

Unfortunately, demand for their service is ever rising as the volunteers notice an increasing number of homeless in the city, something Mr George and others have put down to the city's housing problem.

"We've definitely seen more homeless since we started, as it's become tougher and tougher with the rental market in Wagga," Mr George said.

"The average price of a unit in Wagga is crazy money and the public housing wait is anywhere up to five years. So with those two against you, the odds are stacked against low income workers and the unemployed."

Data collated by St Vincent De Paul shows the general wait list for public housing in Wagga, which currently sits at 409, has increased by 85 since 2018 when the list sat at 324.

Projects like the Tolland Renewal Project, a multi-year plan to build more social houses and support services to revitalise and expand existing housing, hope to fix the problem, but with the city headed toward 100,000 people, those on the ground worry that the housing simply won't be able to keep up.

"In Wagga, our population is growing but our public housing homes are not keeping up with the demand," Mr George said.

"We don't want to see the same people for years and years and years, we want to see people homed."

For now, the food truck is the only one of its kind operating in the city, and Salvation Army Corps Officer Val Hopewell encouraged local businesses and residents to get involved by donating where they can.

"I hope people realise that they can lend a hand, and that businesses are welcome to participate by donating what they can," Mrs Hopewell said.

"We're a community and it's up to all of us to help those in need."

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