Soup kitchen at Riverside Gardens

Salomie Swartz and her husband, Isaac Mentoor feed the hungry at Riverside Gardens

A Kuils River family started a soup kitchen at the Riverside Gardens complex yesterday.

More than 50 residents, including children and the elderly, queued at the home of Salomie Swartz and her husband, Isaac Mentoor, for a cup of soup and bread.

For some, it was the first and only meal they would have for the day, said Ms Swartz.

Her son, George, the only breadwinner for the family of five, provided the bread and the soup ingredients.

“If you give, you will receive. If we can help those with the little we have, I believe that God will provide for us,” Ms Swartz said.

During the first week of the lockdown she had more than 20 children from the complex- knocking on her door for food because they could not leave.

“This means that they are begging for food when things are normal,” she said.

So she decided to start feeding them and was shocked when she saw how many lined up outside her door.

Ms Swartz said she would like to hand out soup and bread each week but does not have the means to do so.

If you would like to help by donating ingredients for soup and bread, call Salomie at 078 250 1018.