Valletta soup kitchen run by Franciscan Friars awarded European Citizen’s Prize

Valletta’s soup kitchen for the needy, run by the Order of the Francison Minors, has won the 2023 European Citizen’s Prize, having been nominated by Nationalist MEP David Casa.

The Franciscan Friars began operating the Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta project in 2021, soon after inflation of food prices drove those on the periphery to seek aid.

Casa, who also led negotiations on the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) as part of the ESF+ regulation, said that food inflation was a pressing challenge in today’s economy.

He praised the effort, saying that “people like Fr Marcellino are on the forefront of the fight against social exclusion, ensuring that those on the periphery do not suffer deprivation of basic material needs.”

“It is a prime example of European solidarity among citizens,” his nomination read.

“By relying on donations and volunteers, the project created a community of solidarity and understanding to uphold the dignity of those at risk of poverty and social exclusion. At the core of the project is a concern with the most fundamental European right: human dignity.”

Last year, Casa nominated the Daphne Foundation for its contribution to human rights and justice, and it was later chosen as a 2022 winner.