Easter eggs and pickled fish with hot-cross buns are synonymous with Easter celebrations.
But for many who struggle to put food on their tables every day, this is a luxury they can only dream of. For more than 150 children from Mount Pleasant, Marikana and Zwelihle this dream came true.
Soraya Pieterse, who runs the Love, Hope, Joy and Faith Soup Kitchen, treated the excited children to a special goodie bag filled with Easter eggs, marshmallows and other treats. Each child also received a meal of pickled fish and hot-cross buns. Volunteers added extra cheer to the day’s festivities by painting the children’s faces.
“We first fed the children and when there were leftovers, we could feed some adults too,” said Pieterse. The event on Easter Monday would not have been possible without the help of generous donors and the team of volunteers – Nicole April, Maureen and Allison Faro, Desslin Petersen and Veronica Gertze.
Pieterse, a mother of four and grandmother of one, has been operating the soup kitchen seven days a week for the past five years.
“When lockdown started we saw more and more people coming to the soup kitchen,” she said. “The numbers have dropped slightly as some were able to return to work.”
Worries about having enough ingredients to cook a meal for the hordes of people showing up at her doorstep every day, says Pieterse, are relieved by the generosity of local businesses and individuals.
“During lockdown it was a bit tough as the restaurants and some business had to close their doors, but things are improving again.”
Anyone can drop off donations (tinned goods, vegetables and fruit, healthy snacks, rice and lentils, clothing and toiletries) at 77 Potpouri Street, Mount Pleasant or call 084 209 7839.