Seventy years ago, Mike Jubow's mother struggled to feed her three boys after her husband walked out on her.
That struggle has stuck with Mr Jubow ever since, and he now grows veggies and donates them to the Mackay Women's Centre.
"My father deserted my mother," Mr Jubow said.
"My mother didn't go through an easy trot — there was very little in the way of social services then.
"She had to juggle working shifts, she was a nurse, getting us fed and clothed and everything else.
"There were times when she couldn't get work when we went to bed with empty stomachs.
"I have got some feeling for what these people are going through and I wouldn't wish it on anyone."
Call for more hands
Mr Jubow said he was looking for some extra hands willing to help with his operation.
"It doesn't seem to matter how much I take — it all gets consumed," he said.
"So I decided to expand the garden a bit."
Mr Jubow said the work in the garden was getting hard at the age 76.
"It's getting a bit more difficult for me as I get older," he said.
"The old bones are a bit creaky."
He said he only needed a couple of helpers to come in for about four hours a week to help pick the veggies and do a bit of weeding.
No plan to stop
Mr Jubow said the yields would increase with a bit of extra assistance.
"We can start planting directly into the beds," he said.
"Which will mean we work a lot more effectively."
Mr Jubow said the hard work was worth it when he heard about the impact his growing had.
"One client said it was their first night in emergency accommodation and she really appreciated the veggies," he said.
"She had something she could give her kids and they got a meal that night, which they would have had to miss out on.
"That makes me feel good, and I'll keep growing veggies when I get feedback like that."
