A recipe for resilience: how one woman finds her voice

Even in the depths of despair, Kellie Price never gave up on her community.

Despite losing her marriage, her job, and nearly her health, the Sydney woman stood proudly in her bright red Sydney Street Choir shirt, her hand wrapped in galvanised tie wire and gripping a self-bedazzled cane, as she reflected on the steps that brought her to the 2025 Sydney Street Feast.

“I thought it couldn’t get any worse. All I can do now is drop dead and then I’ll be happy,” Price recalled.

Broken from a divorce and jobless after suffering a work injury, the former chef relocated to the city to help support her aging parents before undergoing a spinal fusion procedure, and later falling victim to identity theft.

But despite the onslaught of life’s toughest battles, Price pushed on.

“I realised I’m not alone, and I want to feel like I’ve given back,” she said.

“It’s my sacrifice. It’s better than gold.”

Price, who used to work as a chef, began to rebuild by cooking in soup kitchens in Waterloo. But the injury to Price’s hand – the one wrapped in wire because she couldn’t afford to see a doctor – prevented her from keeping up with demand.

Without a clear direction on how to bridge her passion for food and desire to give back to the community, Price was at a standstill.

That is until she learned of the Sydney Street Choir.

It’s been one year since Price joined the music community, which supports people dealing with homelessness, mental illness, addiction, and other social disadvantages.

“The choir takes away all the shame,” she said.

“Everyone brings something different. It’s like a good recipe.”

Every Tuesday, she along with dozens of other members meet to rehearse for an impressive list of performances at community and corporate events, including the annual Sydney Street Feast.

This year’s event was full of joy and connection, Price said, and she was thankful to key sponsor PAYCE Foundation for making the environment feel so inclusive.

“I usually don’t get invited to things if I’m not cooking,” she joked.

“It’s a big thing, homelessness. Even identifying as being different is hard. But they make it so welcoming and they treat everyone with such care and dignity.”

Just before a fellow choir member waved Price over for another performance in front of the crowd, she talked hopefully about the future.

“My support worker and I are looking into teaching soup making,” she said.

“Everyone has their own journey and their own battles. And I always want to demonstrate love.”