He caught the apple and threw it back. “It’ll do you good,” she said. He nodded and moved on past her cry of “free fruit!” She was wearing a black tee-shirt with “please don’t forget our homeless” in white letters.
“This is the leftover fruit I’ve collected for the homeless. I can’t have it hanging around, so I give it away. I take it to places I know they’re staying, like under bridges in Balmain. It all started with a guy admitted to St Vincent’s suffering from scurvy. That was during Covid, and it just went from there.”
Cath understands the nature of homelessness, having spent time on the streets after a severe attack which left her feeling helpless. She received support then from another homeless person who did not pass her by but took her to a place she could get a meal for one dollar – sausages, peas and mash.
Cath has seen great compassion and kindness “among those who have nothing”. They would share food and often limited accommodation with those lacking resources, some even standing as guarantors for the vet bills of others who kept dogs with them on the streets. Here Cath is also active, collecting donations for vet bills and providing donations of dog food.
Not only is there generosity and compassion among the homeless; there is also immense individual resilience and courage. This is demonstrated by her court support of a war veteran with little education who found himself accused of purchasing an illegal amount of marijuana (higher than the amount permitted for personal use).
The man proudly entered the witness box, wearing a brown suit, yellow shirt and grey tie decorated with pink elephants – clothing carefully selected from items made available for his court appearance. Cath stood beside him, supporting him through his successful defence without a lawyer.
The weighing equipment used by the suppliers, he proved, was inaccurate. He had requested the legal dose only and he needed the marijuana to help him get to sleep on the streets. The case was dismissed.
Cath and the now-triumphant man went off to celebrate with friends at a hotel where you could get a baked dinner for five dollars.
Families trying to keep it together in vans or cars are another group Cath supports. She has received good advice from a lawyer in Glebe. This means that the families have access to information, alerting them to their basic legal requirements to look after their children and themselves.
Cath is a selfless support for those in desperate need – nine families are on speed dial for emotional and legal support if they are at risk of losing their children to the welfare system. Those at risk of suicide also have her support.
Even though she has been off the streets for 14 years, these people are still family to Cath. Staunchly, with courage and wit, she is with them for the long haul. Soon she will be celebrated by the community in a mural to be painted on the outside of Woolworths at Balmain, where the customers donate in droves.
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Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre café operates every Friday from 10.30am to 2pm. It is a warm and welcoming space for all community members. It also provides services that support the community. This year a writing workshop called Connecting Words engaged people to write about the topic of community. Louisa Silverman’s piece was chosen for publication.
