A decade on and 150,000 plates later, the organisation is preparing to celebrate its tenth anniversary by doing what it does best - bringing people together over a meal.

But this time the organisation is upping the ante and hosting a food festival in QEII Square.

The Carevan Food Festival will feature music, food and community and run on May 10, from 10am to 3.30pm.

Founder John Brabant hopes the event will become an annual festival and create a sustainable form of funding for the charity.

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"It's exciting to come to the end of the decade and the food festival marks that and hopefully marks the future of fundraising for us," he said.

"My aim for the next ten years of Carevan is to devise a sustainable system of funding because we don't have any government support and everything is done by fundraising.

"That's the idea behind the food festival, we want to try make it bigger and better each year so it hopefully becomes our major fundraiser."

Carevan director Dave Gleeson said the event will feature about eight marquees of different sweet and savory food, prepared by students involved in the Kids Cooking and Caring Program, which is mentored by Miss Amelie's David Kapay.

"We want to showcase what the students can do," he said.

"It's also a real celebration of what we do and hopefully he impact we have on our community."

Dr Brabant said they were seeking corporate sponsors for each marquee who would take part in a Carevan Cook-off - a mystery box cooking challenge.

He said live music would also be played throughout the day and the organisation was looking into the possibility of having Border chefs host masterclasses.

Mr Gleeson said Carevan was a true Border venture.

"Carevan makes a big difference," Mr Gleeson said.

"It makes our community better and... it's only possible because of the community. We're dependent on the community for volunteers and sponsorship without those two things nothing would be done."