In inaugurating a five-day-week soup kitchen, Franciscan Father Marcellino Micallef has turned his dream of addressing the "alarming increase of homelessness and hunger in Malta” with dignity into reality.

In aiming to “holistically help anyone who finds themselves at the periphery of society,” the OFM have opened their doors to their brand new facilities to anyone in need, no matter what creed or ethnicity.

The soup kitchen is situation at number 40 in St. Ursula Street in Valletta.

Thanks to Planning Authority funds, donations and the help of over 25 volunteers, the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), have been allowed to start providing several other services − such as showers, washing machine usage, hairdressing and counselling – and are hoping to have enough support to set up a night shelter.

The new facilities, which cost around €500,000, are equipped to serve about 80 people per day with an estimated 200,000 meals to be served this year.

Besides providing food, this initiative aims to address solitude, mental and social problems in order to enable more people to enter the workforce.

As Father Micallef noted, the sign outside the soup kitchen canteen says “wait to be served not wait to be seated” as in normal restaurants, and thus they are inviting the public as a guest.

The building housing this initiative is one of the oldest buildings in Valletta. Built in 1584, it is the same building which had caught on fire during carnival in 1823 − in which over 100 needy children who were being fed had died.

Renovations for this project started in 2016 and every month, thousands of euros will be needed to ensure this project is sustained.

Thus Father Micallef called on the public to help in any way they can.  Members of the public can donate through the phone number 79227570 or contact the soup kitchen on [email protected]

Photos: Giuseppe Attard