Angels of the lockdown: Ken Behrens Helping Hands has made 100,000 free meals for those in need

It costs them $3000 a day to prepare and get the meals out to those across Canberra and the region - and they need the support of the community to keep running.

Ken Behrens Helping Hands has been running on donations - of food and money - with the meals and hampers prepared in the cavernous Canberra Club House off Jerrabomberra Avenue in Narrabundah.

The ACT government has donated $15,000. A GoFundMe campaign has started to keep the meals coming, hoping to raise $100,000, with more than $35,000 raised by Friday.

Mr Malhotra, 33, usually runs his business, AIM Institute of Health and Sciences, from the clubhouse, and has been using his own savings to bankroll the meals and hampers.

At the clubhouse on Friday, the kitchen was buzzing. The main reception area was piled with bags of rice, jars, boxes of apples, all kinds of packets. Volunteers were on stand-by to deliver the food. It was reminiscent of a recovery centre post a natural-disaster. But it's the national capital on a, mostly, sunny spring day.

Volunteer Shari Maguire says they never ask why a person needs a meal - they need it, they get it. But the general feedback is that the lockdown is cutting across the community and hurting many financially and psychologically.

"It's not just vulnerable or low income earners, it's very much middle-income families. Every day, it's the typical 2.5 children families who are really struggling and haven't been able to go to work," she said.

"There's a lot of elderly. Meals on Wheels isn't able to run so we've been taking care of a lot of Meals on Wheels. The diversity is quite astounding."

Ms Maguire said contributions to the GoFundMe campaign were critical.

"Without the support of the community funding coming in, we wouldn't last a week," she said.

"It's not just Canberra, the meals are going out to Queanbeyan, Braidwood, Majors Creek, Araluen, Bredbo, Captains Flat."

There is also a takeaway barbecue fundraiser on Sunday from 10am to 2pm. The COVID-safe event is being held at the clubhouse at 2/61 Jerrabomberra Avenue. Just turn up and purchase the takeaway barbecue.

"Again, it's just thinking outside the box. 'What can we do?'," Ms Maguire said.

Helen Stig has worked with Gary for a decade as his operations manager. She is small in stature but a powerhouse, keeping the meals flowing out of the kitchen.

"We started on the last lockdown, so this wasn't a shock to us," she said.

"This one has just been different with the numbers. We thought they'd be a maximum of 300 meal requests on the first day. We got 1200 requests. And there are so many different people.

"A lot are too scared to go out, especially the elderly and the disabled. Absolutely terrified, which we understand. There's a lot of mental health issues.

"We don't make it look like a charity. It looks like an UberEats delivery, so their pride is maintained. But, across the board, the fear factor, as well as the economics, rents are so just damn high, are the issues."

Mrs Stig said many volunteers came in to help as they were unable to work in the normal jobs in lockdown.

"A lot of our volunteers say it's helping their mental health too," she said.

"I've had a couple break down and wrap their arms around me and say, 'You really don't know what you've done. It's given me a purpose because I can't work otherwise due to the nature of my business'. So it's been really good in that way. It's not just a meal. It's offering so much more."

Ms Maquire says they are volunteering because "we can".

"None of us could stand the thought of someone being hungry, someone struggling to put food on the table for their children," she said.

"It really is families feeding families."

Labor MLA for Yerrabi Michael Pettersson visited the Ken Behrens Helping Hands HQ on Friday.

"All the hard work that is happening here represents the best of Canberra," he said.

"Canberrans look out for each other. In a crisis, you can always count on Canberrans to step up and help their neighbours."

Anyone who need a free meal can order one by visiting the Ken Behrens Helping Hands Facebook page.