Copenhagen, february 2012

Eating together with homeless people

 

 

Reducing social exclusion by eating together with homeless people was worth the effort. It was a cold, windy day and the hot stew was much appreciated. Homeless people also enjoyed tea or coffee and cakes and the opportunity to engage with our group and discuss topics other than their own situation. The absence of animal ingredients was appreciated by those from Muslim/Jewish and other backgrounds. We also met members of the Danish vegetarian and vegan societies who were meeting nearby.

Cultural dietary issues should not be ignored just because someone is homeless. Vegan food ideal in this respect.

A very successful event:
Food donations: over 100 Kg of vegetables (donators very much appreciated the concept)
250 soup servings
20 salads servings
550 muffins handed out
Tea and coffee

 

Most shops refused to give anything, except for City Helse (http://www.cityhelse.dk/). Very many thanks to them and all the anonymous food donators. The amount of food donated was so generous we could not cook it all, so the remainder was taken to a hostel for young people with mental health issues.

Very many thanks to Bettina (Firefly is her fashionable vegan restaurant in Copenhagen: http://go-firefly.com/), for letting us use her big cast aluminium cooking pot. According to the Danish regulations, the food was cooked in the street.