Man on a Mission

by Bianca Lipari

Source: Urban Life, July, 2005

When Jeff Gambin enters the room he commands your full attention, charismatic and confident, he's a man who, in his own words, "loves getting up in the morning". However this wasn't always the case, over 12 years ago Jeff found himself on a park bench in Martin Place, wanting to be alone contemplating some business challenges. Owen, a homeless man, thought Jeff was also homeless and offered up his most valuable possession to him - a blanket on what was a freezing cold winter's night. Little did the either of the men know that this seemingly small gesture of kindness would ultimately change the course of both their lives. "I was sitting on that park bench thinking about the problems and issues that I thought I had. I didn't have any problems - I had a resort style home, a Mercedes, a motor lodge cruiser, everything." says Jeff.

"Here was this man offering me his most valuable possession - to a total stranger. I was just always one of those selfish guys who wanted everything and was still not happy." From that point on Indian born Jeff, a self-made millionaire and restaurateur, changed direction and has since dedicated his life to Sydney's disadvantaged, through his charity organisation, Just Enough Faith. Known for feeding Sydney's homeless the organisation also assists with housing, re-education, clothing, re-employment, and does so all without government or major corporate funding.

Jeff spent nine days searching for Owen after that first encounter and in addition to helping him get off the streets he requested that Owen be best man at his wedding to second wife Alina, four years later. "Owen thinks I am mad, but he really changed my life," laughs Jeff.

Before embarking on what others thought was a "crazy idea", Jeff spent six weeks living on the streets to try and get a better understanding of what's it like to be homeless. "What I saw I didn't like. I didn't hurt anyone or kill anyone - I was just homeless but nobody wanted to speak to me," he explains. Talking from the charity's headquarters in a building within the vast Rozelle Hospital campus at Callan Park, Jeff says that during the time he spent living on the streets he constantly thought of ways he could make a difference.

When asked why the name, Just Enough Faith, Jeff explains simply that the homeless have lost faith in themselves and that if some of their faith was restored they would be able to "regain their stride, and they don't need a lot of faith they need just enough". So how does one help someone regain their faith? Well according to Jeff you give them choices, which is why his feeding van offers a nine choice menu, "myself, my wife and the volunteers all eat the food we send out, and if it's not good enough for the homeless," explains Jeff.

As a former codon bleu chef and once having 14 restaurants running simultaneously, he knows a thing or two about a good meal. "I have never really been out of food. I did sell all my restaurants when I started this and I had only the best restaurants - all five star," says Jeff.

Jeff proudly boasts that together with Alina and his team of enthusiastic volunteers they have never missed a day of serving food in 12 years. So that means seven days a week, 12 months a year, for the last 12 years the Just Enough Faith team has been serving up hot food to Sydney's hungry and homeless. "We use to go to different places but we stick to the one area now as there are just so many to feed - we are getting well over 500 people a night. And it is unfair on the mentally ill to be moving around," says Jeff. With only 20 percent of funding coming from goodwill, Jeff admits that he has spent several million dollars of his own money keeping the charity afloat. About a year ago Jeff realised that the money would not last forever, so he spoke with Alina about going back to work. But who would employ a 57 year-old man who had only ever worked for himself? Jeff had a better idea, he would buy a restaurant. And as of a month ago he purchased popular Leichhardt restaurants Pavarottis on Norton and Pacinos. "They will fund the work that we do here ," explains Jeff. As Jeff talks about his new venture it is obvious he is a man passionate about food and restaurants, but then he reveals another reason for his excitement. "The head chef at Pavarotti's did not want to stay on after I bought it. I was in there just before it changed hands and I saw a man in a chef's outfit put his hands over his face and sit down. " I went over to him to see if he was alright and he said to me "Jeff is that really you?". This man was a man named Sebastian who worked for me in my very first restaurant in Perth 31 years ago, "says Jeff. Taking this as a "sign" Jeff is ecstatic about being back in the restaurant business and Sebastian has decided to stay on, "what are the chances after 31 years - this is life completing a full circle."

With a swag of awards including the 2000 Australian Humanitarian of the Year Award, Jeff is most proud of the results his charity has achieved, most notably Just Enough Faith has taken more than 1200 individuals off the streets and helped them find meaningful work and permanent housing but according to Jeff there is still so much more to do. "I will be doing this forever - this keeps me alive. I wake up every morning and I'm glad to be alive." And that is something that could not have been said 12 years ago.

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