More Than Just Soup

Helping the Homeless

On Tuesday 2 August 2016 I had the pleasure of being invited by a friend to the Croydon Seventh-Day Adventist Church. I was very eager to make my way to the venue in good time and familiarise myself with the activities this Church provides for the local community. Croydon SDA Church helps out the homeless by providing a weekly dinner for the ones who are struggling to afford regular meals every day. The gathering takes place on Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

I arrived at the Church a few minutes before the meal was due to commence, and I was greeted by several volunteers who explained the planning behind the whole event, chairs and tables were being set up, the kitchen staff were enthusiastically awaiting their guests and the volunteers were pacing up and down making sure everything is in order.

Before the food was served, everybody recited a prayer of ‘Our Father’ while holding hands, the unison between these members of our community was evident despite the difficulties they were enduring. I could sense the camaraderie in the room among the people who were seated in the middle of the huge church hall, socialising and feeling at ease for a few hours in their day, in a welcoming and warm environment. The meal tonight included soup with bread, spaghetti bolognese and ice cream. It was a delight to be savoured.

I was in charge of the technical facilities and I would take requests from the guests for certain songs and videos to be played at the church. One such video showcased the work of some of the participants who were involved in art exhibitions across Croydon.

There was a total of 38 people who arrived to enjoy this meal. They all represented different backgrounds, races and socio-economic status. I realised that homelessness is rooted in our society and affects all walks of life. It is a huge problem and it’s difficult to pinpoint the solutions to help everyone in their struggles.

I felt a sense of great satisfaction to have helped the homeless and enjoyed my time at Croydon SDA Church which does fantastic work for the local community in Croydon and the surrounding areas.

Author: Jean Pierre Ivanov – http://jeanivanov.blogspot.co.uk/

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