Wednesday is soup kitchen day at the Belize Red Cross.
Residents of Belize City, who can not afford a meal, have the possibility to get a soup and a piece of bread every wednesday at the old* Belize Red Cross building.
The soup kitchen is free of charge and relies on Red Cross funds and donations. We’d like to serve food more than once a week but the budget doesn’t allow it unfortunately.
During the weekly soup kitchen event, we also give donated clothes to the people in need. Quite bizarre when you meet a stranger in a 1990 soccer world championship german national team jersey. And that this is obviously the only shirt he owns…
The recipients of the soup kitchen are homeless people in not-clean-clothes, old and fragile people, mothers with starving 1-5 children, physically and/or mentally disabled or people that meet all the above.
The heart and sould of the soupkitchen is Ms B.

Ms Bee serving food
She prepares everything on tuesday already, goes to the market and cuts pounds and pounds of vegetables with the help of some volunteers.
On wednesday the soup gets started on the oven. We receive a donation of bread from the local bakery that we cut in half again to be able to serve more.

Bread cutting
Besides Ms Bs secret seasoning and a lot of vegeables either chicken or beef is added to the soup. Then it is cooked for several hours.
Before it is finished, some noodles and
plantains are added, depending on the budget. Simple. Nutritient. And tastes great!
Each recipients of the soupkitchen has to sign up with his name in order to avoid people coming for more than one serving.
Some have been waiting since the early morning. Regularly the soupkitchen serves from >10am (Belize Time) on.
The plastic containers with soup and half breads are welcomed and people are thankful for them.
Usually between 35 and 55 persons can be served. Then it is finished.
The heavy iron gate in front of the door closes. Till next Wednesday.

Cleaning the soup kitchen dishes
*The original Belize Red Cross building was part of an arson attack in December 2010. In the meanwhile the outside of the building is renovated and at least the ground floor can be used again.