Projected soup kitchen to offer free meals to underprivileged

AMMAN — As the holiday season approaches, Caritas Jordan and the Latin Archdiocese are collaborating to open a soup kitchen within the next two weeks to offer free meals to the underprivileged around the Kingdom, according to Caritas’ media office.

The “Restaurant of Mercy” initiative originated from a series of projects held by Caritas and will be offering around 300 to 500 meals per day to its visitors, Dana Shahin, communications officer at Caritas, said on Saturday.

“The project falls under the Caritas winter campaign that provides the poor with food coupons and winter-related items like clothes,” she told The Jordan Times.

“Our aim this year is to reach around 15,000 families across the country, this will hopefully be accomplished before opening the restaurant,” she added.

“The soup kitchen is for everyone; no one will be questioned about their identity… it will be open for all people regardless of ethnicity, religion or nationality; everyone is welcome,” Shahin said.

She added that the plan is to fulfill the needs of as many people as possible, so they can enjoy the holiday season.

The soup kitchen is scheduled to open on December 23 and will continue its service after the Christmas season ends, according to Shahin.

She said the venue will be in Amman’s Jabal Luweibdeh, near Paris Circle, where the Catholic printing house used to be. 

Founded in 1967, Caritas is a non-governmental organisation that is associated with the Catholic Church to deal with the humanitarian needs that emerged from the war and the displacement of the Palestinian people.