"As soon as I came through the door, everyone had open arms," he said.

"I haven't got nothing."

Despite short-term jobs here and there over the past 15 years, Mr Donnelly has been unable to find stable, long-term employment.

"I've got bills piling up - it's shocking," he said.

When his pension was not enough to make ends meet, Mr Donnelly turned to Jeff and Gally Dakers at the Food Barn.

He had run out of food and had no way to buy more.

"I'm doing it hard," he said.

However he got more than he bargained for when the Dakers also began helping him find work.

"If I get this (job) I'm out of trouble," he said.

Ms Dakers said the charity food barn did more than just give food to the needy; it took a holistic approach to clients to help them out of their crisis situations, into safe, stable accommodation, into employment and off welfare.

Along the way clients can access counselling, be referred to specialist services, learn to cook cheap and healthy meals and receive support 24 hours a day.

"We're the largest distributor of food in the Illawarra," Ms Dakers said.

"We deliver seven tonnes of food a week.

"We've got nearly 7000 registered clients with us, and one registration could be for a family."

However, the House of Hope Food Barn needs support too if it is to continue its vital work in the community.

"We need a major sponsor or a major benefactor," Ms Dakers said.

"We've outgrown this building and we've had to use a tent.

"Actually we mortgaged our home to buy this building."

Mr Dakers said the couple would like to expand the service to other areas including Warilla, Dapto and Wollongong and add a rehabilitation centre.

"We need people to donate buildings or offer us free rent," he said.

The charity also needs vehicles to transport elderly people who can not access the service alone and to transport frozen food.

"There's no other service like us in the region," Ms Dakers said.

"Things are getting worse with more people being made redundant."