Every Thursday evening outside The Griffin Centre in Civic, volunteer doctors, nurses and managers work at Street Side Medics, offering free medical care to those experiencing homelessness and other challenges.
This week, the Street Side Medics mobile GP clinic pulled up in its usual place outside the Vinnies food bank on Genge Street, as a bitterly cool spring breeze whipped through the avenue.
And there was something new there this week, an added injection of humanity.
St John Ambulance ACT chief executive officer Martin Fisk and some of his team were also there to give out 100 free first aid kits to anyone who wanted one.
Mr Fisk said people were grateful to receive the free first aid kits.
"I think the thing for me is that homeless people, if they get a minor scrape or a cut or a whatever, they can't just go and wash it in fresh water and put a clean dressing on it. So they are more likely to turn a minor accident into a big infection that's going to require significant medical intervention," he said.
"So, this way we can prevent something simple getting really, really bad."
Mark Ginswick, a volunteer manager with Street Side Medics, said the free first aid kits would make a difference.
"It's fantastic," he said.
"We're here to provide primary health care to anyone who needs it, targeting people who are homeless and disadvantaged. We'll see anyone, whether they have a Medicare card or not, it's okay.
"And what we see are people who haven't engaged with the medical team for a long time. If we can do anything to help them in their own self-care, these first aid kits are exactly that."
Street Side Medics is in Genge Street in Civic from 5pm to 7pm on Thursdays.
