Pride of Australia: Cassidy Strickland, 11, is reaching out to help the homeless

CASSIDY Strickland was only eight when she saw a man going through a bin looking for food. And she knew then she just wanted to help.

CASSIDY Strickland could be the epitome of selflessness.

She was only eight when she saw a man going through their Windsor garbage bin looking for food.

And she knew then she just wanted to help.

Together with proud mum Linda, they formed Hawkesbury Helping Hands, and in the past two years have served more than 37,000 plates of food, distributed countless blankets, sleeping bags, clothing and hugs to anyone who needed them.

They have helped families living out of shopping trolleys. They’ve come to the rescue of parents with young children living in cars, tents, rundown caravans and garages with no running water. They have strangers knocking at their front door three times a day, asking for help.

And help they do.

The selfless mother-daughter team have been nominated for The Daily Telegraph’s Pride of Australia Community Spirit Medal, and Ms Strickland said it’s all because of her compassionate young daughter.

“I am just so proud of her — this has all happened because of her,” the single mother said. “She will be 12 next month and she knows everyone by name and they all adore her.

“A little boy was left in the park with us last year so we took him in and ended up being his foster carers for nine months before we could find some relatives for him. She shares me with everyone, and she puts in 10 to 20 hours a week for the charity, which is pretty special.”

Ms Strickland said when Hawkesbury Helping Hands first started, the meals were prepared and cooked at home and then loaded into the car and served in local parks.

“When we first started out, we handed out pre-packed meals but our numbers grew — we have had up to 65 people from babies to the very elderly — and realised that many suffer from isolation and loneliness, so for the past 28 months we have had a sit-down meal in our local park as well as a packed meal for everyone to take for the next day,” she said.

“For a month over the holiday period the local community kitchen closes down for a month, so during this time we go out three nights a week and cook and supply enough food so that people could also take a packed meal with them.’’

She said people mainly ask for dry blankets or sleeping bags, as well as warm clothes, socks and food for their animals.

“We’ve got donation boxes in our local schools too, everyone knows us now and they help too,” she said.

“We have families living in cars, tents and run-down caravans — we’ve even seen a family with three kids under six living in a garage with no running water.”

Last year the pair started a free Christmas lunch that will be an annual affair. “I feel very humbled by this nomination and I know Cassidy will feel the same way.”

Lee Jessie, who has 11 children, said Cassidy and Linda had brought a sense of community to the Hawkesbury: “There is not much out here and they are very helpful in getting people off the streets and into shelter.’’

EVERYONE can make a difference.

When I was eight, I saw a man going through our garbage bin. We asked him if he wanted some sandwiches or fruit, but he shook his head and ran away.

My mum said he was probably embarrassed, and it made me very sad. How could anyone be that hungry? From then on every Wednesday we cooked a big pot of soup and took it to the community kitchen and helped out by serving food, setting tables, clearing tables and washing dishes.

We became known as the soup ladies of Windsor by everyone who ate there. After a few months taking soup and helping, I one day walked through the front door instead of the side door, and read a sign saying the kitchen was closed at weekends.

‘‘What do they do — where do they eat,” I asked. So when we got home, I told my mum we had to feed everyone on weekends. So, the very next Wednesday night, we told everyone at the community kitchen to meet us in the park on Saturday night.

We bought food, cooked it, and then packed a meal in a plastic container, with a bread roll, piece of fruit, a plastic knife, fork and spoon and then handed the packages out to everyone.

The first night we had seven people, but every week more people came and sometimes we had 30 people — babies, children, families, young people, old people, lots of people. For many it is the best meal they will have all week.