London’s Muslim Soup Kitchen looks for funds to keep running
The soup kitchen has been handing out more than 100 meals weekly over the past year
Zeba Hashmi, manager of the Muslim Soup Kitchen, and Yousef Al Hatoum, chairman of London’s chapter of the Egyptian Community Centre Of Ontario (ECCOO), stand in the kitchen at the Hyatt Mosque and Centre. Because the kitchen is not up to code, they must purchase meals to hand out on Saturdays. (Angela McInnes/CBC)
For over a year, the Muslim Soup Kitchen has been distributing 125 free meals every Saturday in London’s southeast end.
But without a functional kitchen to operate out of, the program can only continue for so long.
“In order to continue, even on the basis that we are going right now, it’s going to be very difficult without having an in-house kitchen,” said Yousef Al Hatoum, the first manager of the Muslim Soup Kitchen and chairman of London’s chapter of the Egyptian Community Centre Of Ontario (ECCOO).
The Muslim Soup Kitchen runs at the Hyatt Mosque and Centre on Hamilton Road, which occupies what was originally the Weslyan Methodist Church, built in 1873. ECCOO bought the 148-year-old structure in 2015.
The Hyatt Mosque and Centre on Hamilton Road. The structure’s foundation was built in 1873, with additions to the building in 1907 and 1961. It was purchased by the Egyptian Community Centre Of Ontario (ECCOO) in 2015. (Angela McInnes/CBC)
The soup kitchen first began its work by delivering bi-weekly meals to My Sister’s Place in 2019. The meals were purchased from participating restaurants at a fraction of the cost.
But when the pandemic began, Al Hatoum said that the urgent need for free, hot meals for those living in the area became impossible to ignore.
The Muslim Soup Kitchen expanded its efforts in July 2020 to distribute a weekly hot meal of meat, rice and veggies.
“At the beginning we started with like 65 meals. They went up to 125 right now. That put a big pressure actually and depleted very quickly the [funds for food] because what we are trying to offer, it’s not just a simple meal,” said Al Hatoum.
Donations required to bring kitchen up to code
Al Hatoum said that ECCOO’s hope is to eventually renovate the former church into a community hall where all will be welcome, and use the basement classrooms for Arabic and Islamic education on weekends.
The building’s kitchen must also be brought up to code, so that the Muslim Soup Kitchen can rely less on paying restaurants for the meals.
“I see that out of those hundred plus people who are coming every Saturday, they are waiting for the meals, we serve meals from between one and two, and sometimes they are there at 11:30 and they are sitting on the stairs and they chat with each other,” said Al Hatoum. “The isolation has been broken. And this is what really makes us very happy.”
Yousef Al Hatoum stands in the doorway of the Hyatt Mosque and Centre’s pantry. In addition to hot meals, volunteers at the Muslim Soup Kitchen distribute bags of non-perishable food to those in need. (Angela McInnes/CBC)
Zeba Hashmi, the Muslim Soup Kitchen’s current manager, said that the program does all it can do to help feed the hungry. Leftovers go to the Salvation Army, and volunteers offer out bags of non-perishable items.
She said any kind of help will go a long way to making a meaningful difference.
“There’s so much more that needs to be done, but everybody needs to do their little part,” Hashmi said. “Whether through donation or volunteering or, you know, any kind of labour you can put into any kind of effort that can help others. It’s so beneficial towards our city and creating that good feeling with other people who are struggling.”
Donations for the Muslim Soup Kitchen are accepted through the Hyatt Mosque and Centre’s website.
