Friday Soup Sessions
by CJ ROPER – DIRECTOR, AFRICAN SUNRISE VOLUNTEERING
Think singing, music, dancing, food and poetry. Now add in a mix of homeless people, students, volunteers and community members. This is what Soup Sessions are. African Sunrise joined a group of students from France and the Netherlands, who decided to serve soup to the Homeless in Observatory one Friday. This soon became a weekly event, with our first ObSouParty taking place. We have musicians, dancing, a small braai to roast marshmallows on, and, here is the thing – we have fun!
The homeless people in Observatory, Cape Town, come to us every Friday at 4pm, and not just for the food. We interact, we listen to stories, we share ours, we break down barriers that normal society would have us adhere to. When walking around Observatory now, we can stop and say hello to a homeless person, because now we know them, and they know us. Improving our community has been a goal – and we have more people arriving on Fridays every week. We’ve had a fundraiser to provide the Homeless with @StreetSleeper Sleeping Bags, to keep them warm and dry during the rainy season. I am in the process of starting an NPO – Breaking Bread, which will hopefully give Soup Kitchen Observatory a permanent home, and we hope to start a shelter.
The needs of the homeless are so different with each person. We are now able to know what each one is like, what they need, how they ended up on the street. We’ve begun helping individuals as we go along. We believe in our community, and that includes the homeless people. Behind all the music, food, fun and laughter, there is a seriousness of wanting and needing to change things. And we do. And we will continue to do so.
Next time you are in Observatory on a Friday and hear laughter and music – that’s us. Changing the world, one small step at a time. A great way to Volunteer and give back to the community, making it better and stronger.
Follow the Soup Kitchen on Facebook
Think singing, music, dancing, food and poetry. Now add in a mix of homeless people, students, volunteers and community members. This is what Soup Sessions are. African Sunrise joined a group of students from France and the Netherlands, who decided to serve soup to the Homeless in Observatory one Friday. This soon became a weekly event, with our first ObSouParty taking place. We have musicians, dancing, a small braai to roast marshmallows on, and, here is the thing – we have fun!
The homeless people in Observatory, Cape Town, come to us every Friday at 4pm, and not just for the food. We interact, we listen to stories, we share ours, we break down barriers that normal society would have us adhere to. When walking around Observatory now, we can stop and say hello to a homeless person, because now we know them, and they know us. Improving our community has been a goal – and we have more people arriving on Fridays every week. We’ve had a fundraiser to provide the Homeless with @StreetSleeper Sleeping Bags, to keep them warm and dry during the rainy season. I am in the process of starting an NPO – Breaking Bread, which will hopefully give Soup Kitchen Observatory a permanent home, and we hope to start a shelter.
The needs of the homeless are so different with each person. We are now able to know what each one is like, what they need, how they ended up on the street. We’ve begun helping individuals as we go along. We believe in our community, and that includes the homeless people. Behind all the music, food, fun and laughter, there is a seriousness of wanting and needing to change things. And we do. And we will continue to do so.
Next time you are in Observatory on a Friday and hear laughter and music – that’s us. Changing the world, one small step at a time. A great way to Volunteer and give back to the community, making it better and stronger.
Follow the Soup Kitchen on Facebook
