The Valletta soup kitchen fed more than 27,000 people last year, with its volunteers preparing roughly 120,000 plates of food and packed lunches for hungry guests.

Feeding those people cost the charity €603,660, it said in a statement on Saturday which presented a breakdown of its operations throughout 2023.

As in previous years, guests visited the soup kitchen from across the island – from St Paul’s Bay to Kirkop, Pietá to Sliema.

Guests were mainly male (62 per cent) and Maltese (86 per cent).

Volunteers cooked up 98,400 plates and 22,100 packed lunches.

The Soup Kitchen OFM is run by Franciscan Friars and has one full-time employee, one part-timer and 65 volunteers from more than 60 different countries.

It also relies on the help of a lawyer, three nurses, three social workers and three hairdressers.

The soup kitchen is funded through donations. In 2023, 20 schools, 121 companies and 1160 individuals contributed financially to its work.

Aside from feeding people who have fallen onto hard times, the Soup Kitchen OFM said it also helped 98 of its guests find jobs.

Anyone wishing to volunteer can contact the soup kitchen on 79227570.  Donations can be sent to:

APS:

A/C 41286610023 MT56APSB77013000000041286610023

BOV:

A/C 40024827012 MT46VALL22013000000040024827012

PAYPAL:

http://www.soupkitchenofmvalletta.com/

CHEQUES:

Addressed to the Soup Kitchen OFM – Valletta, 40, St Ursula Street Valletta