Nearly six months after its establishment, the Oceanview soup kitchen, initiated by JBay Animal Rescue Sanctuary, reports a substantial rise in demand, highlighting the pressing need for sustenance among the underprivileged community.
As previously reported, the Sanctuary, located in the heart of Oceanview, observed that for some time, hungry children and adults often asked for food for their animals and themselves.
While the non-profit organisation continued to offer food to animals, they could not ignore the need for a soup kitchen to feed the hungry.
Gordon and Ingrid Alick from Petite Sunbird Bakery in Jeffreys Bay were aware of the great need for food in the Oceanview community and wanted to offer their assistance.
The pair then offered to sponsor the Sanctuary’s soup kitchen, which has continued to operate every Friday from 12:00 to 14:00.
Cindy Muller, the manager of the Sanctuary, said that over the last six months, they have noticed a huge demand, with many people in the community suffering from hunger.
“One does not realise how many people will go to bed hungry at night. It’s a sad reality that many of us are unaware of,” said Muller.
She said that the organisation currently provides meals to approximately 120 adults and children every Friday, with additional requests for assistance on non-operational days being fulfilled with available on-site resources. In light of the pressing demand for nutritious meals and the anticipated surge during the festive season, Muller said that they hope to expand the soup kitchen’s operating days leading up to Christmas Day.
“We expect more people to visit the soup kitchen over the holiday period and, as a result, we will try to do a few more days closer to Christmas,” said Muller.
Even though Petite Sunbird Bakery and Barend van den Berg from Sonvars Veg are still their main sponsors, she said that they were thankful to all the kind people who have donated their resources and time to assist with the soup kitchen. Muller, however, emphasised the ongoing need for supplementary vegetables, stock, and bread supplies to sustain their soup kitchen operations.
She further said that unused bread from Friday’s meal service is repurposed to fulfil subsequent food requests received throughout the week.
“We are very grateful to be in a position to help people and animals. To continue doing so, we would appreciate any form of donation, even if it is the smallest donation, because every little bit helps,” said Muller.
“We would also like to give a massive thank you to everyone who has helped with donations towards the soup kitchen and the needs of the animals. We appreciate it.”
