A night on the town with Canberra's Night Patrol

He also carries the weight of a life caring for others.

It's about 7.30pm on a mild Monday and the St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol van is stationed outside "the cube" on Cooyong Street, delivering a steady stream of people a warm drink, a bite to eat and a friendly chat.

Mr Roberts seats himself nearby and enjoys his hot drink and biscuit, his four-year-old bull mastiff, Butch, tethered to a tree.

Sandwiches and a piece of fruit are lined up beside him. It's a modest collection but one that will relieve pressure from his hip pocket when the bills hit.

Mr Roberts walks down to the van from his Kanangra Court home in Reid with his 29-year-old son, Jake, and Butch about twice a week.

The 51-year-old moved to Canberra more than a decade earlier to continue caring for a friend closer to family.

Tonight the Night Patrol team is looking out for him.

"We've always used the van pretty regularly – just a couple days a week," he said.

"It helps if we're short to come down and have a cup of tea and a little snack to eat. Sometimes when we pay bills and that, when we haven't got much food at home, it helps a bit."

About 280 volunteers make up the Night Patrol, serving up to 1000 homeless and at-risk people a month with light refreshments, clothing and hygiene packs.

When the mercury drops, blankets, jackets, beanies and scarves are also packed into the van.

But it's not all about the food and goods, co-ordinator Lesley Bonney said: "It's more about the conversation and breaking the isolation".

Service is a little slow to begin with on Monday, after volunteers Therese Edwards, Peter Kinnane and Brian Kinnane set up the first of two pit stops in Civic.

About eight people were already lining up for food when the van arrived a few nights ago, Ms Bonney said.

But Garema Place trade flows almost immediately. The van arrives about 8pm.

Some people shuffle through quite quickly. Others, like Michael Sobozinski, tend to linger.

The 40-year-old is sitting on the ground enjoying a coffee beside seven-year-old bull mastiff, Bear. He's soon joined by 46-year-old friend Randy Booth.

The pair moved to Canberra from the South Australian town of Mt Gambier nine months ago. They live underneath the Coranderrk street pedestrian bridge near the Canberra Institute of Technology's Reid campus.

Mr Sobozinski said they were waiting for a housing application to be processed.

Mr Booth wants to be a politician – he plans to study politics.

They use the van all the time – unless they're asleep, Mr Booth quips.

There is a sense of camaraderie among Canberra's homeless community, according to Mr Sobozinski, who has got to know a number of faces around Civic in the past nine months.

But he doesn't talk a great deal to the volunteers or other clients.

"I just say, 'g'day, how you doing?'," he said.

As the dark slowly settles and supplies begin to dwindle the volunteers' patience is tested.

One man becomes aggressive. A woman tries to calm him down.

It doesn't happen too often, according to Ms Edwards, who has volunteered for more than six years.

"Occasionally [it's hard] but it's rare that we have a rough night and quite often the regular clientele monitor other people," she said.

"One of the regulars came to the guy who was getting upset to settle him down. There's a little bit of camaraderie among some of the people."

Volunteers meet at St Vincent De Paul in Phillip, pack the van and read through any program notes before hitting the road.

Ms Edwards said the clientele varied between 30 and 50 per night.

"Some people have a mental health issue, some people have social issues, others maybe a job problem. It doesn't really matter; we're not here to judge," she said.

"Some people are here for a chat. There are a few who are genuinely hungry. Others just swing by, grab something and keep going."

Victor Kesina, 65, pops over from Allawah Court about four times a week and enjoys the smalltalk.

The city's changed a lot since the then 16-year-old migrated to Australia from former Yugoslavia, now Croatia, almost 50 years ago.

He's been in Canberra most of the time and has undertaken various jobs, including catching the tail-end of the Snowy Mountain Scheme and helping build a number of ANU halls of residence.

He's retired now. The Night Patrol has supplemented his pantry for the past two years.

"Since I retired from work things have been a bit tough," he said.

"I rely on the disability support pension and I'm on the aged pension now. I'm trying to have some savings before going into a nursing home.

"From now on you're higher maintenance. You're like an older car – more grease and more tuning up."

For Mr Kesina, the van is more than a helping hand. He enjoys talking to the volunteers, including the odd student.

"I suppose it helps them learn about social issues, we talk about social issues," he said.

"I've been through the university of life. It's something you don't learn in school. It's something you learn from talking to people and experiencing it."