Suzanne Aubert Compassion Centre (Soup Kitchen)
Let us have kindness and compassion for one another
Suzanne Aubert
The Suzanne Aubert Compassion Centre is a work of service founded by Suzanne Aubert, the Foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. The Sisters are more commonly known as 'Sisters of Compassion'.
Suzanne Aubert (1835–1926) came from France as a lay missionary in 1860. She came to New Zealand to work with Maori and learnt to speak both Maori and English while on the ship coming to New Zealand. Her work began in Auckland and then took her to Hawkes Bay. She later accepted the invitation of the Maori people to go to Hiruharama (Jerusalem) on the Whanganui River to assist in reviving the mission there. It was here at Jerusalem that the Sisters of Compassion, the only New Zealand founded religious congregation, was recognised by the Catholic Church in 1892.
Suzanne Aubert worked closely with the Maori community and prepared the first Manual of Maori Conversation in 1885 which is still being reprinted. She was trusted by the Maori community who shared with her much knowledge of traditional remedies. She was a pioneer in education and in nursing and in supporting disadvantaged working mothers. She worked with those who were on the margins at the time, including children whose families couldn’t look after them and adults with disabilities.
In 1899, at the invitation of prominent doctors in Wellington, Suzanne
Aubert, accompanied by three of the original Sisters, came to address the
needs of the poor in Wellington at a time of depression. They started in a
small house in Buckle Street, nursing the sick in their homes and later in
1901 opened a Soup Kitchen on that site. The Home of Compassion was opened
in Island Bay in 1907. The work of the Soup Kitchen continued on the Buckle
Street site serving soup for breakfast as Suzanne had seen done in her
native Lyon. The Soup Kitchen catered for men who at that time were mainly
unemployed or had alcohol problems. Suzanne Aubert wanted to ’give them
strength to look for work’ and to take the pressure off struggling families
who would have one less mouth to feed.
In the early 1960s the Society of St Vincent de Paul began providing
volunteers and finance to enable the Sisters to serve an evening meal, and
the Society still supports the Centre today, financially and through members
who are volunteers.
The Soup Kitchen is now on its third site, within a stone's throw of the
original Buckle Street premises.
From the earliest history of the Soup Kitchen came the collecting of food
from around the city for the poor. We are still blessed with the support of
a very generous community who donate money, food, goods, services and time
as volunteers. This makes it possible for the Compassion Centre to serve
people in need.
The Soup Kitchen is open for breakfast and dinner every week from Monday to Saturday. The free breakfast of hot soup and buns, rolls etc, is served from 8.00 9.00am. In the evening at 4.45 until 6.00pm the Dining Room is in operation serving a hot meal of meat and vegetables. Guests are expected to pay $2.00 for this. However there may be exceptions for several reasons, e.g. recently redundant or out of prison etc. No-one is ever turned away without food as sandwiches or filled rolls and a cup of tea are always available.
Every effort has been made to make the Dining Room in the Centre an attractive and welcoming place. By having it resemble an ordinary café we endeavour to enhance the dignity and self-respect of our guests.
The men and women who visit the Centre for a meal come from a variety of needs. A few are homeless, sleeping outside, many come from the night shelter in Taranaki Street, or have rooms in boarding houses or hostels nearby. Many have mental health issues. Many would have addictions to alcohol, drugs or gambling. Many come to share in the social contact. There are itinerants from other parts of the country who may be just passing through Wellington, others who settle here, a great number of unemployed, some who may have been made redundant, others recently out of prison.
Numbers for both meals can go up and down for no apparent reason. Breakfast numbers range between 25 and 50 while dinner numbers are generally between 60 and 90. Because we ask no questions of those who come to the Soup Kitchen and because it is a day to day arrangement with guests, we do not have a good sense of why the numbers go up and down.
While most of our guests are men, we have a few regular women and
occasionally a family may come together.
The Compassion Centre has over 200 volunteers who assist the Centre in
various ways. Most are on the Dining Room roster for the evening meal, where
5-6 help to serve the meals and support the kitchen. Other areas volunteers
assist with include helping collect donated food, with the Gathering, with
the street day appeal, visiting etc.
As well as the Soup Kitchen, some other services are provided by the Centre:
Outreach Programme
Staff and volunteers visit the isolated, sick and elderly in the inner city and Newtown. These people generally live in the large complexes of flats run by the City Council or Housing NZ.
The Gathering
This is a monthly get together at the Centre for the elderly. Volunteers drive people where necessary for the light entertainment, afternoon tea and conversation, 1.30 - 3.00pm on the first Wednesday of the month.
Clothes Room
There is a clothes room at the Centre which has a small basic stock of clothes for guests.
Chapel
There is a small Chapel in the Centre which people may visit for quiet reflection. Mass is celebrated at midday Monday to Friday. Contemplative Prayer is held on a Thursday from 9.15 – 10.00am.