Give with compassion to the Soup Kitchen

Txt SOUP to 4483 to donate $3 to the Soup Kitchen.

2015 marks 114 years of the Suzanne Aubert Compassion Centre Soup Kitchen in Wellington. The Soup Kitchen provides two hot meals a day, six days a week. On Friday 17 July it holds its Annual Street Day Appeal.

“Wellingtonians have supported the work of the Soup Kitchen for many years now, and, although we would love to live in a society which doesn’t require this kind of service, we are proud to support those in need to live with dignity in the community,” says Soup Kitchen Manager, Steve Flude.

“Every day we are blown away by the generosity shown towards the Soup Kitchen and its guests”, says Flude. “We have a community of over 200 hundred volunteers and a waiting list of 50+, each bringing their unique skill-set to ensure we are able to continue our service to the highest standard.”

The Kitchen was founded by the French Catholic missionary Suzanne Aubert, who established the well-known community of the Daughters of our Lady of Compassion. “Suzanne Aubert was a woman ahead of her time”, says Flude, “she was an innovator and an implementer, unafraid to get her hands dirty and make things happen”.

Mother Aubert was a reputable nurse, honouring the indigenous knowledge of the Māori she lived among.

She was recognised for her pioneering approach to addressing unmet social needs. In October 1903 she opened the first childcare centre in New Zealand, in Buckle Street, Wellington. Aubert, who will be canonised later this year, will become New Zealand’s first saint.

In 2014 the Soup Kitchen served over 10,000 breakfasts and 18,000 dinners. The Appeal offers the opportunity to engage with the public and raise awareness of the plight of many New Zealanders struggling to make ends meet. The Soup Kitchen encourages individuals to give generously to ensure the continuation of this service.

The Soup Kitchen works closely with other social service organisations in the Capital and provides an array of services. Alongside the provision of meals, the Soup Kitchen operates the ‘Soup Hub’, a computer suite for guests. Here guests have free access to the tools most New Zealanders now consider essential, including:

email, internet access and printing. Volunteers are on hand to provide assistance in everything from writing CVs to creating an email address and searching the internet.

The Soup Kitchen also runs a community garden tended by guests at Mokai Kainga in Owhiro Bay, and organises the Gathering, a monthly catch up with afternoon tea and entertainment for seniors in our community.

Txt SOUP to 4483 to donate $3 to the Soup Kitchen. For more information about the Soup Kitchen, please get in touch.

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