Photography series shows Christmas dinners eaten by homeless people

Donated junk food or baked beans from a tin are all some people eat on Christmas Day
Soup Kitchen is raising awareness of the experience of being homeless at Christmas.
The Soup Kitchen
Maryam Kara11 December 2023

Soup Kitchen, a London-based charity, has created a photography series called Homeless Christmas Dinners to highlight the dinners homeless people have had to eat on Christmas Day.

Of the photographed meals are 42-year-old Kamga's, who had a Christmas dinner consisting of ketchup pasta that was cooked in a hostel from long-life food donations. Paul, aged 56, spent Christmas Day lying in hospital with a punctured lung, due to street violence, and could only eat ice cream. Meanwhile, Wassa, 56, had a tin of baked beans that he ate cold with a supermarket wooden fork.

Ten photographs depict the dinners homeless people have had to eat on Christmas Day.
The Soup Kitchen

The images have been released ahead of the Soup Kitchen’s Christmas meal event on Saturday (December 16), when 300 decent meals will be provided to vulnerable people in London, the closest they will come to a proper Christmas dinner, along with presents and entertainment. It has been said that a donation as small as £5 could give someone a seat at the table.

No roasts for Christmas past

Kevin, 71

Two chicken wings

They were pre-cooked and cold, "plundered from my mate’s fridge. Still feel guilty about it. I’m an honest person."

Liv, 54

Milky Way Chocolate Stars and a coffee

From volunteers on Christmas Day during the pandemic. Lived off junk food during this time (what most of the donations were).

Mei, 63

Sliced sausages

This was from the supermarket reduced section. "I can’t cook hot food because of my injury."

Matt, 54

Mince pie and a Stella

They were brought during the pandemic by a stranger. They drank the beer together.

Paul, 56

Ice cream

"In hospital with a punctured lung, due to street violence. Couldn’t eat anything else."

Kamga, 42

Ketchup pasta

"Made using long-life food donations. Cooked it in a hostel."

Abraham, 43

£1.99 McDonalds big mac + chips

Someone gave him a voucher on the back of a bus receipt.

Yusuf, 38

Cold fish and chips

It was raining so hard he couldn’t go anywhere, so he stayed in a tent. When it eased, he went to a nearby restaurant. They gave him a cold fish and chips.

Wassa, 56

Baked beans

He ate them cold with the free supermarket wooden fork.

Ali, 35

Prawn cocktail crisps, digestive biscuits, and a chocolate

These were long-shelf-life donations handed out by volunteers during the pandemic.

Director of Soup Kitchen Alex Brown said, “Christmas is an especially difficult time of year for those in society that are less fortunate. Our commitment at the Soup Kitchen is centred around aiding those with the greatest need. We believe that every person, regardless of their circumstances, deserves a nourishing meal every day of the year and this sentiment is especially crucial during the festive period.

‌"The photos demonstrate that not everyone has the luxury of the classic Christmas roast, and put the realities of homelessness and those in vulnerable positions in clear contrast to what we commonly associate with Christmas. We hope they will inspire people to do what they can to support those in need this year.”

The Soup Kitchen hosted the series to remind individuals that sumptuous advertised dinners are not a reality for hundreds of thousands of homeless people in the UK.

To find out more about the work the Soup Kitchen does, and how to volunteer, donate, or get involved, view the website here.

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