Wednesday April 25, 2007

Soup kitchen opening up in KL

By SIRA HABIBU

ALOR STAR: The Soup Kitchen, a coffeeshop-style eatery that provides free lunches for the poor and downtrodden here, will be extending its operations to Kuala Lumpur.

Its founder, Pastor Clarine Chun, said the Superflow Foundation that runs the kitchen was now identifying a suitable site in the capital city.

A good deed: Some of the poor folk from various ages and races enjoying their lunch at the Soup Kitchen in Jalan Putra, Alor Star.

“We are going beyond the feed-the-poor programme by setting up a permanent place where poor people know where to go when they feel hungry,” she said.

Pastor Chun said the Soup Kitchen at Jalan Putra here, which opens from 11.30am to 2.30pm from Sunday to Thursday, attracted about 160 people daily including drug addicts, jobless youths, and senior citizens.

“We open our doors to anyone who feels hungry. We also allow them to take food home for family members,” she said, adding that no pork or beef is served.

“Some of the drug addicts who frequented Soup Kitchen listened to our advice and underwent drug rehabilitation,” she added.

“One construction worker who could not feed his young family comes here to pack home food for his family whenever his finances run low.”

Foundation trustee Penny Khor said it costs about RM2,000 a month to run the Soup Kitchen.

“Most of the ingredients are sponsored. A company sponsors rice. Fishmongers call us whenever they have extra fish to spare. Some people come and drop off vegetables. Most of the vegetables may not be that fresh, but they are edible,” she said.

The foundation employs a cook and an assistant. A token sum is given to seven mentally challenged individuals who help out at the Soup Kitchen, Khor said.

For more information on the Soup Kitchen, call 04-731 9189.

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