To celebrate World Homeless Day, Ladles of Love hosted its annual Dining with Dignity lunch on Friday.

The event offered a moment of relief to destitute Alexandra residents living with hunger and displacement.

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Phindile Nkosi, the organisation’s Johannesburg manager, emphasised that, beyond meals, the event served to remind those that are often overlooked that they still matter.

“We are celebrating the day with people who are destitute and do not have shelter or food. Today, we are here to remind them that they are human, and we love them.”

Nkosi noted that the event has become a tradition in the community. “They are used to it, and when they see us pitching up tents, they know that they are going to get what they always get each and every year.”

The consistency of the initiative, coupled with her weekly soup kitchen, has made Ladles of Love a beacon of hope for many in the community.

Among the attendees was Mduduzi Nkambule, who acknowledged the impact of the organisation’s efforts.

Nkambule reflected on the resilience of many who rely on charitable support to navigate daily hardships. “We are trying to make ends meet.”

He commended the initiative, spearheaded by Ladles of Love in partnership with community leader Linda Twala.

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“[Nkosi] has been giving us food, so, when she called to me to come get something today, I did not hesitate.”

Nkambule added that Twala also avails himself in times when the community is in need.

The lunch served as both a celebration and a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by those without shelter and food in the community.

For Nkosi, it highlighted the importance of community-driven responses to poverty and homelessness, responses rooted in empathy, not judgment.

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