How Soup Kitchens Help the Homeless

Homeless services such as soup kitchens are very important to the homeless community; in fact it is often the lifeline for these people. Over 100,000 people are homeless in Australia, and most of them need feeding. When thinking of the homeless, many people imagine the older men they see on the streets.

Beyond the Stereotype
While it is true that these men make up part of the homeless population, there are also many other people that are homeless but you may not actually see them on the streets. Only 1 in 7 people will sleep on the streets, meaning there are many people you do not see that have no place to call home. Some of them will be lucky enough to be able to stay with a family or friend, or perhaps they will secure a bed in a boarding house. Some of them will get a bed in the service system.

The sort of person who becomes homeless cannot be defined in one demographic. All types of people become homeless each year for a variety of reasons. The single largest cause of homelessness is actually domestic violence, so this means it is often women and children who are seeking shelter and food.

Homeless Children and Youth
There are over 10,000 children that are homeless right now, and one in forty children under the age of 5 will use a homeless service each year. Half of the 100,000 homeless are under 24-years old. So as you can see, the homeless community is a wide and varied one. It could be your friend, your neighbour or your family that ends up in this same position.

Services for the Homeless
A soup kitchen is a place where food is offered to the homeless for free or sometimes for a small, affordable price. Volunteers run the kitchens, often coming from church groups, by preparing and serving the meals. The food is usually provided by companies for free as charity, or at least at a reduced cost. Sometimes the volunteers will run a food drive to collect canned goods they can either serve or hand out to people and families who need them.

The kitchens are usually open daily, serving either lunch or dinner but rarely both. For the people that frequent these places, this may often be the only meal of the day for them. When soup kitchens started in the 18th Century they served just soup and bread. These days however, they serve a bigger variety of food. Casseroles, pastas and noodles are often found on the menu and even drinks such as fruit juice, tea and coffee are served. It is quite rare for fresh produce to be available at the kitchens if there is fruit being served it is usually from a tin.

There are many soup kitchens throughout Australia. Find one by contacting your local church or charity group to see if there are any near you. You may find there is one quite far away, which could mean you make a weekend or holiday out of it.
 
For example there is a soup kitchen at Inverell, so you could find Inverell accommodation and then help out in the kitchens the next day. It will make your next holiday feel more worthwhile.