There were carols, good food and even better company at the Soul Hub Christmas party, in what will be the only holiday period celebration for many of Newcastle's most vulnerable.
More than 300 people crowded into NEX, to swap stories, gifts and food hampers. Soul Hub manager Matthew Ortiger said Christmas could be an incredible challenging time for people struggling with addiction, homelessness or mental health issues
"For some we are the only place that they have to go to get relief from that sadness and loneliness," Mr Ortiger said.
"For many of our guests, they don't get the opportunity to celebrate Christmas, so to get the whole Soul Hub community to come together and celebrate is an amazing thing.
"It's a highlight of the year for our guests, often they're still talking about it in Easter, so it clearly means a lot to them."
After missing the Soul Hub Christmas party for the past three years, Ian Myers was determined to make this year's event.
Mr Myers has been studying at TAFE while bouncing between living on the streets and unreliable short stay accommodation. Soul Hub was a much needed rock of stability in a difficult period.
"When you're living right on the poverty line, the benefit of a decent free meal really does make a difference to your weekly budget," he said.
Soul Hub also put him in touch with welfare services, which led to stable housing.
"They got me in the door, put me on the list and assessed my application," he said.
"That all came about through associating with the Soul Hub people...that spin-off effect is so powerful, they have a really good network of connections."
The timing was lucky, because not long after securing a home, Mr Myers had a quadruple bypass operation on his heart.
"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have a roof over my head to come home to after the surgery," he said.
Mr Myer has recently lined up work and a scholarship to continue his studies in Tasmania.
