ONE of the keys to reconciliation is the ability to see or feel the world from another person’s point of view, ‘to walk a mile in their shoes’, says director of the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC), Raymond Perrier.
He said the on-going work of the DHC feeding programme is a recurrent example of this.
“It is important that poor people stay healthy by eating tasty nutritious food on a regular basis – in a city as rich as Durban no one should be starving. But equally important for us is that the food is prepared and served by members of the public, working alongside homeless people, and thus get some insight into what it is like to be hungry,” he said.
Perrier said the staff and volunteers who prepare the meals have done the DHC proud in 2020.
In 2019 they were impressed that they had served 87 000 meals; but by the end of December, the team had served almost double that at 170 000.
“This includes 96 000 snack meals – sometimes breakfasts served on site, sometimes bags of sandwiches and cakes. We are especially grateful to the networks of churches and supermarkets who send food to us to distribute, to the individuals who donate food, and to Boxer Stores and Spar for their support,” he said.
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But the real triumph is the almost 74 000 cooked lunches, which for most is the only hot meal they will have.
“We have had to keep adapting how these are served due to the pandemic, and now, with the return to Level 3 restrictions, we are again returning to takeaway containers. But, because we do not want to destroy the planet while helping the poor, we are committed to using biodegradable containers and cutlery even if it does cost us an extra R3 000+ a week,” he said.
The feeding project is called ‘Nkosinathi’ – the Zulu translation of ‘Emmanuel’ (the name of the next-door cathedral), which means ‘God is with us’.
“God is certainly with us in this project: God is present in the hands of each cook and volunteer who lovingly makes and serves the food. God is present in the faces and mouths of the homeless who come to eat, and we know God is present because without God’s help we would not have the ingredients to serve 170 000 meals in one year!”
To get involved as a volunteer or to donate towards this project, contact raymond@denishurleycentre.org.
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