Souper Troopers bring food and hope
THE Souper Troopers have been out in force feeding the city’s homeless and hungry.
The NPO that was started by Kerry Dale Hoffman in 2014 out of the back of her car aims to provide dignity and a wholesome meal to the most marginalised individuals – the homeless.
Yesterday, Souper Troopers gave a hearty meal to 178 people at the Carpenter’s Shop in Cape Town’s Roeland Street. According to Hoffman, these numbers were much lower than last December’s numbers.
“Many street people return home to their families in January, so this could be considered our quiet time. In December, we averaged between 500 and 600 people.”
The NPO doesn’t just offer food. Barbers were available to provide haircuts for those who needed them, and mobile showers were also provided. Souper Troopers aims to empower homeless persons by inspiring them to live by the NPO’s motto of “love, dignity, respect”.
According to Caryn Gootin, the NPO’s co-ordinator, the ultimate goal was to help the city’s homeless become self-sufficient, despite not yet having a set venue.
“Ultimately, we want to provide a safe place for the homeless. We want them to have a place to sit down, where we can give them advice on how to rebuild their lives,” Gootin says.
The NPO is in talks with funders to generate funds to help them turn the homeless into independent individuals who could contribute to society. They aimed to find a permanent space for themselves where the homeless could go to receive advice. Their levels of education would be assessed to determine what sort of jobs they were eligible for.
Thereafter, Souper Troopers hoped to help them find jobs.