Gallery – Soup Kitchen London

Gallerysoupkitchenlondon2020-11-28T16:29:50+00:00

Gallery

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On Saturday, we served 189 people, the most we hav

On Saturday, we served 189 people, the most we have supported during a normal service in our 36-year history. A tremendous thank you to @erre_gargiulo & her team in the kitchen, as well as @mbrabet @friel_james @_ellafriel & their wonderful family, for helping so many homeless & vulnerable people. We didn’t turn a single soul away!

As they have several times over the years, our UNR

As they have several times over the years, our UNREAL partners from @freshfitnessfood hosted a fundraiser to support our work last week in Battersea Park.

A very special thank you to @casparmrose @sophiedillon1991 @asociat_ @joe_corrie @theultimateyou_ @xpilatesuk and EVERYONE else who came out to support us as we work to do our part to eliminate homelessness & food poverty in London. Thank you!

A massive thank you to our partners at @camdengivi

It was SO nice to see these two smile when they re

It was SO nice to see these two smile when they realized @justinegeo stopped by to say hello!

Sometimes, all you need is a friendly face, a few kind words and a hug to make your day better.

A moment for reflection today… ‘Steven’ a

A moment for reflection today…

‘Steven’ and I had a long talk as he reflected on his 70 years of life. He recently received some devastating news and wanted someone to share it with.

He told me he was born in Scotland in 1952 and was immediately sent to an orphanage in Sheffield to live. Growing up in an orphanage with the realisation that your parents didn’t want you & nobody cared about you was, understandably, rough. When he was 11, he vowed that he would never have his own children because of how he grew up, with constant physical & emotional abuse. Although young, he made that promise to himself and stuck to it.

That foundation shaped his life; by 14, he was on the street. By 18, he was an addict and for the last 50 years, he has battled addiction and substance abuse.

As we chatted, looking back, he said that not having children and a family was his biggest regret in life. ‘Steven’ was recently diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and he told me he was afraid to die alone, as a lonely old man. Truly heartbreaking to hear, but through the smiles and the cries, he thanked us for being his ‘family’ over the years.

Many people come to the Soup Kitchen for social interaction, just to be around other human beings that they can talk to. We strive to offer an environment that is free of judgment and safe. We encourage our volunteers to sit & talk and, more importantly, listen to our guests. For many people, it’s their only sense of community and belonging.

As he thanked us for being his ‘family’, I couldn’t help but think of all the volunteers and supporters over the years who have made the Soup Kitchen a destination for so many rough sleepers & marginalised people. On behalf of ‘Steven’ and I, a very sincere thank you to all of the people & companies that support our work.

Alex

This week, after what felt like an absolute eterni

This week, after what felt like an absolute eternity, we welcomed our friends back inside for a seated service! None of us realised how emotional it would be to welcome people back in; indeed, one of our guests said he felt ‘human’ again. It was so genuinely nice to spend some one on one time with old friends.

In March 2020, just after the initial lockdowns began, we transitioned from a sit-down to a takeaway service. We managed to stay open throughout the pandemic and our numbers increased from 90 people per day on average to nearly 150 people per day now. That presents some significant challenges to a small charity, but thankfully, we’ve managed to support the people that depend on us.

What we’ve observed, especially in the last 4-6 months, is more people using our services who aren’t homeless but are just as desperate for a meal. The current economic environment means more people who have homes come to us each morning for food. Generally speaking, they have tended to be of pension age, which is heartbreaking.

As always, thank you to our incredible supporters and volunteers who make all of our work possible. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you!

This fantastic team fed & helped nearly 150 of our

This fantastic team fed & helped nearly 150 of our friends this morning. Thank you @erre_gargiulo @x8.ges @harrys SCP @orlandobrooke1 & Chris.

A very special thank you to our wonderful @citylife2017 as she celebrates another trip around the sun. Happy Birthday Naomi!

This is, unfortunately, a typical weekday morning

This is, unfortunately, a typical weekday morning and sadly, the number of folks we support will only increase as the country faces continued economic hardships.

Many of the people we help each day have homes but struggle to feed themselves. Thank you to EVERYONE who supports us.

Thank you @asinlondon for the wonderful opportunit

Thank you @asinlondon for the wonderful opportunity to speak to third graders about homelessness & ways for young people to get involved in their community. What a great Q&A we had!

Another 140+ of our wonderful friends served today

Another 140+ of our wonderful friends served today! We had an incredible service and, if this gorgeous weather wasn’t enough, @galettigram stopped by and produced some incredible smiles! Thank you @nikkiplummer_ Jas @rach_birtwhistle @orlandobrooke1 @erre_gargiulo @yasminakassir @evelynsnizek & @dermasurgelondon for helping so many people today!

Another incredible day, with amazing volunteers &

Another incredible day, with amazing volunteers & staff and incredible guests! Thank you @victoriassecretuk @arthurproptech @brookeemma1983 @_katharina_grimm @erre_gargiulo @x8.ges Sheila & @orlandobrooke1 for supporting 140 people!

Another incredible day serving our friends with an

Another incredible day serving our friends with an absolutely wonderful group of volunteers & staff! Thank you @weare_oi @simmons_snaps & @redcarnationhotels for sending great people and @erre_gargiulo @x8.ges & @orlandobrooke1 for all of your hard work!

How incredible are theses notes of affirmation & l

How incredible are theses notes of affirmation & love? A group of wonderful students from @asinlondon took time to write these and we included them with lunch today. Sometimes, a few positive words, whether written or spoken, can go such a long way!

We should celebrate our wonderful women EVERYDAY,

We should celebrate our wonderful women EVERYDAY, but it’s nice to take a moment to say thank you on a public forum on International Women’s Day.

This morning, these four prepared an unbelievable meal for about 140 people. It’s what our team does each day and since March of 2020, the Soup Kitchen has served over 100,000 meals! A tremendous thank you to @erre_gargiulo @x8.ges @citylife2017 and to our wonderful volunteer @galettigram

Thank you also to @bloombergservice @streetsmartuk @jcemms & @orlandobrooke1 for making sure their amazing food made it to the people queued up in the freezing cold!

How incredible is our team?! Thank you @erre_gargi

How incredible is our team?! Thank you @erre_gargiulo @x8.ges & @citylife2017 for baking up these incredible pizzas for our guests.

Like 90% of the amazing meals that we serve each day, these were created using rescued food from @cityharvestlondon our main food supplier. Isn’t it incredible what you can do with food that might otherwise end up in the rubbish? Thank you all!

Even on a freezing cold & windy morning, a warm sm

Even on a freezing cold & windy morning, a warm smile goes such a long way. Thank you @fredrikferrier @x8.ges @erre_gargiulo @aqilahvawda @daviesindia & @criticaleyeglobal for an absolutely fantastic morning taking care of our homeless friends.

We came in this morning and found this young man a

We came in this morning and found this young man asleep on the cold courtyard floor. He had no tent, not nearly enough layers on and a summer sleeping bag. We took him inside to warm up and it was probably a full 30 minutes before he could talk properly, because he was shaking so bad. He’s in his early 20’s and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.

We’re taking care of him, but we just wanted to say thank you to everyone that supports us. This is one of the many people that you’re helping!

#thankyou #london

Oftentimes in life, it’s the little things that

Oftentimes in life, it’s the little things that make a tremendous difference. This wonderful child @aliyahxelia & her mum @anastacia.kizy came by the Soup Kitchen last night and prepared an unbelievable meal. After that, they distributed it to rough sleepers on Tottenham Court Road, Soho & along the Strand, late into the night.

One of the things that people seemed to appreciate most, was this tiny little human with no fear of them, no judgment for the way they’re living and an open heart. That’s not always the case.

Thank you to Aliyah & her wonderful parents for allowing her to help us last night. Her laugh was so contagious & she made so many people smile!

It’s tough to think about the fact that on an ab

It’s tough to think about the fact that on an absolutely freezing, wet and miserable morning, so many people have to queue up for a hot meal. Thank you to everyone that makes our work possible. It’s probably not said enough, but there are hundreds of people that appreciate your kindness!

On the menu today, free hugs with a side of compas

On the menu today, free hugs with a side of compassion & understanding. Oftentimes, the smallest things have the biggest impact!

#itscooltobekind #london

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