IN the town of Usaquén, San Cristóbal neighborhood, the Jireh Foundation, social arm of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of San Cristóbal Norte, formed the ‘Hot Soups’ program in January 2021, together with 15 women, led by Angélica Diago, coordinator of the social project.
“This program began by giving away 30 soups to older people dedicated to recycling activities, street vendors, the migrant population and homeless people, then it grew and today, two years later, ‘Hot Soups’ on Mondays is serving 120 people, providing them with a rich plate of vegetable soup, prepared with the donations of many neighbors, merchants, active people in the congregation, and every 15 days, with the unconditional support of the Dale a Mano a Bogotá Foundation, to do something different. We not only provide a plate of food, it is also an evangelistic strategy to share a message of love, since only Christ’s love for us can transform lives,” Angélica told EL NUEVO SIGLO.
Its purpose is to serve 200 people, three days a week, delivering fresh and nutritious food, based on vegetables and dehydrated products.
‘Hot Soups’ emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic through market donation campaigns and in conjunction with other organizations, they managed to reach more than 600 families.
“Then post-pandemic, we decided to give our program a new approach, since the situation was changing, people were already starting to go out, but there were many who passed through the streets, without being able to try a plate of food. We decided to open a program that would benefit new people, who spent most of their time on the streets and many times could not taste a plate of food”, explained the Coordinator.
The process of identifying vulnerable communities begins with field work in which the Foundation’s team identifies how many people in vulnerable situations transit through the sector. During this stage, they showed a greater presence of elderly street vendors, a migrant population, a high percentage of the recycling population, and a floating population.
A demanding city with social projects
Angélica said that during her leadership she has seen various challenges for the development of ‘Sopitas Calientes’, including the search to become a self-sustaining program.
“That it is not only giving them a meal every 8 days, but where there is a greater impact on their lives and on the society where they live. The second thing is, to get those helping hands, those resources that can continue paying for this program, because we would not like it to be just one day a week, but rather that at least we can offer them food 2 or 3 days a week”, he stated.
Likewise, the need for volunteers is increasing, people who, according to Angélica, selflessly offer their time and kindness to offer them a pleasant time and food.
“The people who work there only serve with our time, giving them quality time, love, without receiving anything in return, because we know the value of a soul in the eyes of God. The volunteers can help in the preparation, service, logistics, since we are 15 women between the ages of 55 and 65, who take turns every 8 days, each shift is 5 women for the whole day. At the end we must clean, pick up, wash, and leave everything organized in the area that they give us, ”she reflected.
Gratitude, the greatest reward in the midst of pain
Angélica shared that one of the best memories that this experience has given her is seeing the process and improvement of the people who attend the community kitchen.
“It is gratifying to see in them every day that each word in their lives has a result in their behavior, when it comes to entering, to be all in community, to learn to forgive, to love each other, to see each day not as what is left over, rather, they are people with great purposes, who are not a mistake of life, but are valuable in the hands of the Creator”, he affirmed.
On the other hand, bitter moments refer to people who have died from their bad habits, who have died from alcoholism, or even from a street fight.
The lack of importance that the District gives to this type of initiatives that are forged from its own resources, is another of the circumstances that afflict the directors of ‘Sopitas Calientes’ and many other foundations that do not receive support from the entities.
“We do not receive help from any district entity, we are a Christian community that organizes events such as selling lunches among ourselves, fundraising activities; We buy the food with the merchants of the sector and they help us with some elements for the preparation. The only organization that has been supporting us in the last year has been the Fundación Dale a mano a Bogotá, through its president Alirio Delgado”, said Angélica.
A friendly hand
The Dale a Mano a Bogotá Foundation, established since October 2021, aims to work on programs that positively influence children and adolescents; women, the elderly and all population groups that are in difficult contexts.
“We decided to make a big bet on a project called Agentes de Cambio, with the aim of sponsoring four social projects that are located in Bogotá, that generate a positive impact in their communities, thus achieving great visibility for it and, In addition, generate tools for its growth and sustainability. All this through a cycle of training and accompaniment by experts in different subjects”, Alirio Delgado, executive president of the Foundation, explained to EL NUEVO SIGLO.
Their great challenge is to turn these four projects into self-sustaining programs, starting from the premise of the low visibility and recognition they have in society.
“Most of these projects or foundations end up ending due to lack of resources, which is their big problem, so our challenge as a project and Foundation is to make them sustainable and visible over time; with the support of our communications team and our network of private entrepreneurs,” Delgado explained.
More than 2,840 people have benefited to date through the four projects sponsored by Dale a Mano a Bogotá. In addition to ‘Hot Soups’, there is Imagen Viva that supports more than 2,700 women with cancer, Fundación Hogar Victorine Le Dieu caring for 12 older adults and Sin Prisa y con Causa – Tostao’ Café y Pan educating the children of 50 recycling families with fashion accessories.
“We all have a call to action in one way or another in this society, God has given us a purpose in this life and it is to be able to serve others, because whoever does not live to serve is not useful to live. It is never too late to support this type of program, today more than ever when we live in a society where love is sent to collect, and where there is more envy we can do something good, and set the tone. What better than giving our city a hand”, concluded Angélica Diago, coordinator of ‘Sopitas Calientes’.