Donations help keep Durban North soup kitchen on the boil
At least 65 people are fed through the kitchen each day.
THE Durban North Methodist Church said it aims to continue aiding the less fortunate. Working with various stakeholders, the church has been able to feed thousands of homeless people in the Durban North vicinity. In 1990 the church’s Reverend Colin Andrews initiated a project, which 28 years later has grown to be one of the most successful charity programmes in the area.
Organised by Daphne van der Walt and her husband Steven, the first Soup Kitchen was run five times a week. Depending solely on donations and volunteers from the congregation, the church was compelled to reduce the number of days it operated from five to three time a week.
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The current facilitator of the kitchen Madelaine Pearson said,”As the numbers of volunteers dwindled, the soup kitchen was further reduced to two times a week. We have been fortunate to receive monetary donations from businesses as part of their Community Social Initiative. This has helped us a lot.”
The kitchen feeds at least 35 to 65 people each day. For many, the meal is the only one they receive.
“Many are job seekers who wait at the park on Umhlanga Rocks Drive. Others come from various informal settlements in the Durban North vicinity. In some cases we have people coming from as far as KwaMashu,” added Pearson.
This year the church’s prayers were answered when another congregation came to their aid. “We have been blessed by the Shemarah Faith Mission who have been donating additional food which the people can even take home to share with their family members,” she said.
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The church has urged all community members to be part of helping those in need. Donations ranging from food to labour volunteering is welcome.
“Local schools such as Chelsea Preparatory School have also supported the initiative in a wonderful way. Learners donate their vegetables and other ingredients. They have been doing this for a number of years for which we are grateful,” concluded Pearson.
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