The founder and director of “Ladles of a Love” Danny Diliberto says it was his encounter with a “homeless man” nearly a decade ago that inspired his passion to put a stop to the global child hunger crisis.
Diliberto told IOL Lifestyle that through his non-profit organisation, “Ladles of Love”, he is aiming to sell over 100 000 sarmies before the Sarmiethon events are held on World Sandwich Day at V& A Waterfront Makers Landing in Cape Town and Old Eds in Houghton, Joburg, on November 3.
This is double what the organisation distributed in 2021 and Diliberto is confident that through the help of South Africans, his organisation can reach far more than its target.
“Ladles of Love was founded on the basis of an ancient Sanskrit word Seva, meaning giving of yourself and wanting nothing in return,” Diliberto said.
“It was upon learning this word and interacting with a homeless man that I was inspired to start a soup kitchen.
“Being in the restaurant business at the time it was an easy step to take and on a chilly Tuesday evening in July 2014, the very first pot of soup was served to 70 homeless people.
“Since then Ladles of Love has grown from this single pot of soup to an organisation serving approximately 35 000 people a day and around one million meals a month,” Diliberto said.
During the Covid-19 pandemic the organisation grew exponentially, to be one of the largest non-profit providers of food relief in South Africa, serving impoverished communities via a network of 200 soup kitchens.
“In April 2020 we called on the public to make peanut butter and jam sandwiches in order to help us get out extra food into the communities.
“The response was phenomenal with our ‘Sandwich Drive’ going viral and tens of thousands of sandwiches going into our communities. The response and smiles from our little ones receiving these sandwiches were heart-warming and inspirational that a simple sandwich could bring so much joy to them.”
Diliberto said since 2020, they have continued to distribute over 5.4 million sandwiches to different communities.
“As lockdown eased, the number of sandwiches we received also began to drop and so we began to think of ways of keeping our Sandwiches Drive alive and one of the ways was our Sarmiethon calling on people to make as many sandwiches as we can.
“I grew up in a Mediterranean home where food was the centre of our home. I got to understand the importance of food prepared with love and I was blessed to grow up in a home with plenty of food around me.
“After school I found myself working in the restaurant industry where I remained for 30 years and with all of this I understand the importance of good food not only feeding the body but feeding the soul too.
“I believe when you have found your purpose it becomes your calling and as long as you are fulfilling your purpose it gives you the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
Those who want to help move this initiative forward can visit www.ladlesoflove.org.za and sponsor as many sandwiches as you can for R10 each.
“I wish you could see the joy sandwiches bring to hungry people, especially the little ones. Their eyes light up with the first bite and as it hits the hunger spot, smiles spread across their faces, and they sigh relief.
“Every time we visit communities, we experience the hope and joy sandwiches bring. Our ask is simply for kind-hearted people to buy as many sarmies as you can and together let’s put smiles on the faces of 100 000 children by alleviating their hunger”.
For more information, visit: https://ladlesoflove.org.za/about/