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Student feeding scheme

I have written about education before, and last week I wrote about visiting the sick. Today, in relation to education, I want to write about feeding the hungry. Our parish, rightly, has a proud record of feeding the street people. It has come forcibly to my attention that, despite various efforts by Wits, there are students, perhaps at other institutions — I don’t know — who are going seriously hungry. As we know hunger is not conducive to study.

Having spoken with the Parish Pastoral Council, we would like to do what we can as a parish, perhaps the place to which hungry students most naturally turn. Recognising that is is not easy to admit ‘I don’t have food’, on Thursday we are (re-)starting a ministry whereby we will try to provide a simple nourishing meal discreetly, and so we invite students who have no other options to join us at 13h00 downstairs under the church. Instead of joining those going into the church, just take the steps down under the house. (If you would like to go to Mass first, simply look in first downstairs and ask for a plate of food to be saved.) If you are able to send an e-mail to parish@trinityjhb.co.za, it would help us to know how many meals to prepare. We will start this Thursday.

For this ministry to succeed, we need help. Already we have someone cooking for us on Monday and Thursday, and several people have offered help. If you are regularly able in term-time to cook a simple meal, which we will provide, please let Kelsey know in the parish office. If you are able to donate money, please pay to Standard Bank account 202 648 532—St Vincent de Paul, or place an envelope in the collection; either can be marked ‘Students’.

Graham Pugin SJ

PS: When have I been hungriest in my life, and what did I do?