FOR the past six years, the Red Door Community Kitchen has rolled out the welcome mat to local residents.
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And, during that time, the selfless volunteers have served countless meals to families, children and guardians, who may feel isolated or are dealing with monetary issues, at the Muswellbrook Uniting Church in Bridge Street.
Now, those helpers are seeking valuable support to maintain the popular service.
"At the moment, there are about 20 of us," Mike Kennelly said.
"So, we'd like to get more people on board.
"If anyone can spare a couple of hours a month or a week, it would be greatly appreciated."
For the most part, the work is not hard but absolutely vital in assisting those in need in the community, according to Mr Kennelly.
"A lot of them live on their own or are financially-disadvantaged," he explained.
"We don't discriminate; we try to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.
"In fact, our work is very rewarding.
"And, it's always good to have a pool of volunteers [at your disposal].
"We serve about 70 meals these days.
"Everything's prepared on site - and cooked here.
"All the food is donated by ALDI and IGA."
The Red Door Community Kitchen was originally a collaborative effort between Upper Hunter Community Services, Uniting Church, Compass Housing, Muswellbrook Men's Shed and locals in 2013.
It then hosted the town's first Christmas Day lunch.
On Thursday, March 27, 2014, the service opened its doors on a fortnightly basis, eventually adopting a weekly format, which remains to this day.
"It just started off as a Xmas meal," Mr Kennelly said.
"We soon realised there was a call for something bigger.
"Now, we're a stand-alone entity.
"We put on a lunch every Thursday (between noon and 2pm), as well as a dinner on the first Tuesday of the month.
"[Today] things like curried sausages and mash potato are on the menu, but it varies all the time."
To acknowledge the group's efforts, Muswellbrook Shire Council recently presented the Red Door Community Kitchen with its Social Inclusion Award on Australia Day for providing a safe non-judgemental space.
"We extremely proud," Mr Kennelly said.
"You don't do it for the accolades.
"However, it's nice to receive that kind of recognition."
If you'd like to lend a hand, contact the Red Door Community Kitchen via a private message on the Facebook page or drop into the Muswellbrook Uniting Church on a Thursday.