Thursdays have not been the same for the homeless of Homelake and surrounds who used to get a hot plate of food every week at Sabstone Soup Kitchen. This after it closed its doors.
The soup kitchen, which was situated along Village Street, was run by Sabata Maile who used to feed more than 150 people every Thursday, without fail.
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He was forced to shut down his soup kitchen earlier this year, due to the lack of funding and food donations that helped a great deal in feeding the needy community.
The Randfontein Herald paid him a visit at his soup kitchen and what used to be buzzing Thursdays with long queues on the outside of people lining up to get a plate of food, is now quiet mornings with not even a single person on the outside.
Maile said closing his doors for the community has been nothing but heartbreaking for him, but said he was left with no other choice.
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“Before this decision, I used to ensure that no one went to bed hungry, at least once a week and I know that my efforts made a difference. This was with the help of a local butchery which used to donate meaty bones for the soup, but it was also forced to shut its doors.
This has had a devastating impact on the soup kitchen, and unfortunately, I cannot do this on my own as I am currently unemployed,” said Maile.
He added that he is appealing to locals and the broader business community to assist with any kind of donations, including groceries that will assist in ensuring that he continues to make a change in the lives of the needy.
He can be contacted on 078 278 2130.
