
WelCom December 2022
Michael Fitzsimons
When Sam Johnson saw an advertisement for a kitchen manager at the Compassion Soup Kitchen in Tory Street, he knew it was time for a change.
Originally from Yorkshire, he had done quite a bit of travelling before settling in Wellington with his Kiwi wife about seven years ago. On his travels he worked as a chef, and went on to work in Wellington restaurants such as Shed 5, Penthouse Cinema and Plum Café.
‘I was getting to the stage with hospitality where it felt like the same grind every day. When I saw this job come up, the idea of helping people appealed to me and it was something that was missing from my general happiness.
‘Stepping into this role filled the void – having the opportunity to interact with these guys who come to the Soup Kitchen and seeing the difference you can make. They all come from interesting backgrounds. Some have had really tough times and others just decide to live the way they do.
‘I’ve been here for about four years. I’ve just fallen in love with the whole organisation and working with the Sisters who are incredibly special.
‘Suzanne Aubert was such an incredible lady. She comes from France, starts up a hospital and a soup kitchen and all the rest. It’s a great testament to the Sisters that 121 years later it’s still going strong.’
Sam came on board as kitchen manager but these days has wider responsibilities for staff, support workers and day-to-day operations. There are about 10 regular staff and about 200 volunteers are on the roster.
Being able to keep the Soup Kitchen going during the Covid-19 lockdowns was very satisfying, says Sam.
‘During lockdown we saw our numbers go through the roof. We provided about 250 takeaway meals a day – there were lines of people queueing up along the street. There was nowhere else for them to go. They were such uncertain times and we didn’t know how serious it was all going to be. It was very special to be able to continue to operate and serve these guys.’
Sam says the Soup Kitchen is looking to expand its services in response to a growing need and the rising cost of living. There has been a 33 per cent increase in demand for Soup Kitchen meals over the last year, with more than 60,000 meals served to guests and nearly 10,000 meals delivered. A sit-down dinner and breakfast are offered six days a week, as well as takeaway meals.
‘We also deliver lunches twice a week out to Waiwhetu Marae and Kokiri Community Hub in Naenae and we are looking at how we can do more. There are families who have to choose between food and accommodation – hopefully we can bridge that gap so they don’t have to make that choice.’
The Soup Kitchen relies heavily on public donations and the massive support of food rescue organisations, such as Kiwi Community Assistance and Kaibosh.
‘Around Christmas we get lots of support from the public – monetary donations and food and lots of hams. The donations mean we can buy some special items to go alongside the donated food. I love it. It’s a busy but really joyful period. We will be one of the small handful of places that will be open over Christmas.
‘We do get a lot of support and people are generous with donations but with growing needs we still need more.’