Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen and army of volunteers cook up Christmas for hundreds of people
Mackems will make Christmas merry for hundreds of people across the city as community teams pulled together to cook up hundreds of meals.
Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen has been a hive of activity in recent days, using its new Albert’s Place base in High Street West to co-ordinate its volunteers as well as a host of other helpers and organisations to ensure no one goes without this festive time.
Yesterday, Wednesday, December 23, packs of Christmas dinner ingredients to feed 357 people were delivered across Wearside and into East Durham, bought with donations of £40 from supporters, with treats, vouchers and handmade cards added in to make it extra special.
Meanwhile, volunteers have been preparing dinners and breakfasts to go out to hundreds of people, including meals for people who have moved to the city from countries including Iran, Turkey and Romania, who will enjoy a taste of their cultural cuisine.
Organisations including domestic violence agencies, St Mary’s RC Church, Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project (SNYP) and Sunderland Minister have all been involved, with four chefs also lending their skills.
Andrea Bell, who runs the soup kitchen, said: “There is no better feeling in the world.
"It is relief that they are not going without, but for me, it’s the children, that’s what breaks my heart, knowing that they could have been going back to school without a Christmas dinner and everybody asking what they had and what they got.
"But they have got their meal and some lovely surprises.
"We have all pulled together and it’s important to remember, six weeks ago, this wasn’t happening and then it’s all changed.”
Andrea added: “It is just so kind and that is more than half of what we spent during the first half of the year, so this means we will be able to go out and buy food and nicer food than having to go out and forage and ask all the time.”
The fund can be found via https://www.gofundme.com/f/sunderland-community-soup-kitchen-xmas-fundraiser.
It was also helped by funds raised by paratrooper Shaun McGlynn, who spent 24-hours running around Penshaw Monument.