Archbishop Charles Scicluna inaugurated ‘Il-Kċina ta’ Marta’, another initiative of the Church in Malta aimed at helping those currently going through difficult times. Around 350 people a week are receiving the 1,200 free meals prepared by the 30 volunteers of Il-Kċina ta’ Marta at the Archbishop’s Seminary in Tal-Virtù. An additional 20 volunteers handle meal distribution to the homes of those who are housebound. Il-Kċina ta’ Marta is led by LOOP Parish Diaconia in collaboration with The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.
Since the beginning of this year, Il-Kċina ta’ Marta has provided 50,000 meals. Thanks to benefactors and the hard work of volunteers, the cost of the food is reduced by 80%. The remaining costs are covered thanks to donations collected by parishes or given directly by the generous public. A donation of €30 covers the cost of a meal per day for a person for an entire month.
During the visit, the Archbishop remarked, “Il-Kċina ta’ Marta is a sign of hope for those who are currently, for one reason or another, experiencing a moment of darkness.” This hope is brought about by volunteers and benefactors responding to Jesus’ invitation when He said: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink’. As Christmas approaches, the Archbishop appealed to all those for whom this period is full of meals and celebrations to remember those who cannot even enjoy one single meal per day and to consider making a small donation to Il-Kċina ta’ Marta.
On behalf of The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, Julian Sammut said that Il-Kċina ta’ Marta is the successor to the free meals distributed by Caritas Malta and The Alfred Mizzi Foundation during the pandemic. He mentioned that, in order for Il-Kċina ta’ Marta to continue offering food with dignity, the foundation donated a van specially equipped to distribute meals where needed. Mr Sammut also highlighted that The Alfred Mizzi Foundation helps with over 100,000 meals a year, including meals for Dar Papa Franġisku, Il-Kċina ta’ Marta, and other soup kitchens and food banks in Malta.
Mgr Charles Cordina, the Episcopal Vicar for Diaconia, said that during the year, around 1,300 families receive assistance from the parishes in Malta through the work of diaconia. “Il-Kċina ta’ Marta further strengthens this service because now the Church can provide nutritious food with dignity even to those who cannot leave their homes. Additionally, through this service, many more members of our communities are actively contributing to ensure nobody in society is left behind. A parish becomes stronger when its members play an active role in its work, especially with those in need.”
The free meals distributed by the Love Kitchen of the Millenium Chapel and by the Qawra Parish are also cooked and prepared by Il-Kċina ta’ Marta. The volunteers of Il-Kċina ta’ Marta will also be providing food for another Church soup kitchen which will start offering its service in the evening in Ħal Balzan in the coming weeks.
Donations in aid of Il-Kċina ta’ Marta may be made at loop.mt. Anyone wishing to become a volunteer or benefactor is invited to visit LOOP’s website or to call 25906309 or 79822886.
More information about LOOP Parish Diaconia
LOOP Parish Diaconia is the result of coordinated efforts between parish priests and volunteers from the 70 parishes of the Archdiocese of Malta.
The main objectives of LOOP Parish Diaconia are to address basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter for those in difficult situations; to provide a wide platform for the community to contribute towards helping the needy; and to raise funds for the parishes to be able to support people in need and their aspiration to be active members of society.
All this work is carried out in collaboration with professionals from the social field coming from six Church entities, namely, the Millennium Chapel, St Jeanne Antide Foundation, Caritas Malta Foundation, Paulo Freire Institute, the Secretariat for Social Assistance and Fondazzjoni Sebħ.