Eaglehawk community house "old timer" Denise Wilson described the centre as "a wonderful, wonderful place".
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She first got involved in the early 1990s, when it was in Truscott Avenue, after seeing an ad in the newsletter for a minute-taker.
"I thought I could do that, and that was it. I stayed forever!" she said.
She has done a variety of different tasks at the centre and witnessed a wealth of different activities going on.
"It's been very, very successful over the years. It's gone on to bigger premises," she said.
Her friend Margaret Bannan, who was one of the centre's founders, still comes in on a Thursday.
A former coordinator of the Eaglehawk Cultural Festival, Ms Wilson lives with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
But she says she has a lot in common with the other lunch guests.
"It's great to catch up with old mates and everything," she said.
"And people all love the bingo."
Greg Stevens, who travels from Kangaroo Flat to the Eaglehawk community house every week for the lunch, is one of the "pantry bingo" game's biggest fans.
"We win TimTams and different biscuits," he said.
There's no doubt in his mind the trip is worth it.
Volunteers thanked at funeral
John Watson, who helps organise the game, has been involved at the community house for a bit over a decade.
"I wanted somewhere to volunteer and started doing classes then just got involved in more and more things - lunches, gardening, the committee of management and now helping with the bingo," he said.
He recalls that during COVID volunteers delivered a lot of meals to people who had no other form of contact.
Mr Watson had made some good friends at the centre and it had been a significant part of his life, he said, as it was to a lot of people.
"Last year went to the funeral of a lady who used to come regularly and her family thanked us for the joy we gave her.
"They said it was something she looked forward to each Tuesday."
Manager Tracey Moss, who hopes more funding will flow from the state budget to support its food programs says the centre is a safe and non-judgemental place where connections and friendships are made.
The fact it isn't located in an institutional building is part of that.
"There's a reason people come here. We're just a house and people love that."
