Free meals and a party for needy families in Chile

Priest Theo van Grieken has been working in Chile for over 40 years. He began as a missionary but soon his activities were more and more concentrated on social work. He now is a kind of secondary bishop in Curico, a densely populated region above Santiago.

During the military dictatorial regime of Pinochet his parish became a centre of support for the oppressed and tried to do as much as possible for the political prisoners and their families. After the earthquake of 1985 Van Grieken set up two shelters for the roofless. In the nineties he started a technical school for the streetchildren from the slums. Other projects are a safe house for abused women and help for drug addicts. He organised primary help by setting up soup kitchens. In the dining area of the parish for instance they feed 150 bums, elderly people and students of high schools that have to come from far one warm meal a day. Recently he set up his sixth soup kitchen in one of the poor suburbs of the city. The economic crisis has led to a steep rise in the number of unemployed people and thousands of people without any means to feed their families are really hungry. The new kitchen will supply 150 meals a day. Mothers come with their pots and pans to collect one portion for each member of their family. A social worker checks everyone that wants to become a "client". Van Grieken's projects are successful because of the well thought-out way they are organised. De question for help comes up directly from the local community; where the parish network is firmly based. The people that ask for the help are stimulated to set up and carry the project themselves; Van Grieken facilitates and motivates. He makes the concerned people responsible for their project; where possible they contribute financially as well. He also takes care of the infrastructure and mediates with the authorities and other local organisations to get (financial) support. Every project he ever started still works fine. And this - surprisingly - almost without external financial help. The only source of income - needed mostly for the first phase, as the buying of a house or equipment for a kitchen - is the Supportfund Priest van Grieken. This fund consists of the donations from his family and friends. The last years have shown a diminishing amount of money that comes into this fund. Not enough by far for the ambitions of Van GriekenÖ.

For the new soup kitchen they need: a big refrigerator, a big freezer and a big mixer. For the cold winter months a heater would be most welcome for both the new kitchen and the parish dining area.
Total costs: € 1500,--

Apart from this it would be great if the customers of the soup kitchen could have a "party". They don't have much reason for laughter in life and an afternoon of fun would everybody good. Games and for the children, a competition in making funny hats from paper and old rags for the adults, a performance of clowns for everybody, lemonade, chocolate milk, biscuits and sandwiches with "something on it". And of course prizes for the winners.
For an amount of € 300, 150 people will get an unforgettable afternoon and -hopefully - aching belly muscles from laughing too much.
This brings the total amount asked for at € 1800,--
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