10 December 2015

Hi everyone

Its that time of year where we are all hustling and bustling as we get in to the festive season and spirit. As for most of our families at Freedom Farm, might not even have a plate of food to eat on Christmas day.

Thats where we step in. December 20th will be our last soup kitchen for the year and we want it to be memorable and special, especially for the children.

I am asking with a humble heart if you can contribute towards our Christmas party we would like to give for our children at Freedom Farm, please get in touch with me. We are looking at jumping castles, hot dogs, party packets, fun and games, cold drinks and also importantly food packets(non perishables) for the adults to take home and make something to eat for later in the week.

Every little bit helps no matter how big or small.

Thank you to each and everyone for your constant support, love and well wishes. Lets make the 20th a day always to be remembered at Freedom Farms.

Love & Light always
Stephanie

8 November 2015

My voice is gone, but I'm shouting from the top of my lungs and saying THANK YOU!!! from the bottom of my heart to each and everyone who contributed to our soup kitchen today. Every single one, from accross the waters to right in our own back yard, I thank you!

Sister Rachel and all the amazing volunteers! Oh my goodness. Thank you!!! 
Making party packets, cooking the food, sorting clothes and toys and guiding the children. It was one of those days where I just watch everything and thank the universe for bringing together all the amazing angels from far and wide and participate In all the magic, joy and happiness we bring to Freedom Farm.

All of you who are always surporting us, in spirit, well wishes, even just liking our page and follwing us and the work we do, I thank all of you. I know there are such a lot of people who would physically like to participate but can't always be with us. You are always there in spitit. We feel the love and amazing energy at Freedom Farm. The humility and gratitude shown by the children, their parents and all who are living there, are always priceless and that's one of the reasons why we keep on doing what we're doing.

My heart and soul is so so overwhelmed with gratitude. YOU. ALL OF YOU are Steph's Ladles of Love. Im just the vessel bringing it all together. I salute and thank all of YOU! You have made a lot of children and adults happy today.

Lastly to my person. I thank you. My rock, my support, my strength.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page. Will post pics soon to show what YOU have done today.

Love & Light always
Stephanie

28 October 2015

Hi everyone

Our next soup kitchen is Sunday 8th November.

Please help if you are by the means of doing so. We need to feed over 300 mouths and every little bit we can get to make a huge pot of stew and rice will be dearly appreciated.

I would also like to serve a chilled drink to the little ones on Sunday, if anyone can donate cups, ice, cold drink for the day, please please get in touch with me.

I am so so grateful for all of you who have been assisting thus far and in showing the love and compassion to our fellow human being. It is so amazing to see how YOU and I can make a huge difference in someone else lives by providing them with something to eat and spend some time with them on the day. If all of you can witness the gratitude and humility the families show at Freedom Farm, you will be even more touched by their situation.

I urge anyone that can help with this initiative to please do so. Not for me, but for all those who suffer the dire circumstances they find themselves.

Many many thanks

Love & Light always
Stephanie

27 October 2015

My humble and sincere thank you to each and everyone who contributed to our soup kitchen yesterday. Saturday I was so stressed that we wont have enough food. Sister Rachel gave me a hug and said everything will be okay. At the last minute beautiful angels dropped veggies and potatoes and we could make a full pot of food Sunday morning. The children had party packets as well.

To all who could not be with us, you were with us in spirit. 
Thank you to my person for your unconditional love, support and patience xxxx

I will say this over and over. I am just the vessel for the soup kitchen initiative, YOU are the ones feeding the families at Freedom Farm

All the love and blessings I pass on to all of YOU

Posting pics soon.

Love & Light always
Stephanie

22 September 2015

Hi Everyone

Our next soup kitchen is next week, 4th October 2015.
We have over 500 mouths to feed and if you can assist in any way with the ingredients that we need, please get in touch with me.
We make a huge pot of soy-veg stew. Potatoes, carrots, mixed vegetables, onions, stock cubes and basically anything we can add to make it hearty and wholesome:)

It was truly amazing the past soup kitchen how all fell in to place right at the last minute.

I trust that we will do more this coming soup kitchen.

Great gratitude in advance to all the angels out there.

Love & Light always
Stephanie

3 September 2015

Hi everyone

The next soup kitchen is 13 September at Freedom Farm, Behar. If you can assist with any of the ingredients to fill up an 80liter pot (soy and veg stew) and 20 kilos rice, please get in touch with me.

We had amazing support the last couple of months and I would like to continue encouraging more people to keep up the good work and support. I know times are tough in some situations. But if anyone can donate a small part towards the meal for the families at Freedom Farm, it will amount to feeding over 500 mouths.

Let us work together and create love and joy by filling a hungry childs tummy:)

My heartfelt gratitude to all who have been supporting the cause thus far

Love & Light
Stephanie

20 July 2015

I have waited till now to write this post. Thinking that by now I would have calmed down from all the beautiful emotions of humbleness, gratitude, love, compassion, and so many other amazing feelings from today's soup kitchen. But I am still so so overwhelmed!

A HUGE thank you to Keyan via GHFM (he heard the interview on Tuesday morning) and his amazing team from Phangela group and Bluegrass digital (Pecha Kucha) who made our second soup kitchen for the month of July possible. No amount of gratitude can be showed. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

If everyone could witness today, I am sure you would feel exactly the way I do. Freedom Farm was at a total high! Cooked food was served, food packets was made for families to take home, kiddies was spoiled with party packets. Oh my word!!! It was super amazing!!!!

The amazing volunteers who was so on point with the co ordination, wow! Today I could just stand back and watch the beauty of it all happen.

To each and everyone that has been with us today, in spirit, in prayer, in thought, I thank you all. Just the mere positive vibe you are sending us, push us forward to being better and doing more for others. The faithful volunteers, Shanti, Winslow, Shaun, Dale, my darlings, I thank and salute you!

My family both at home and work, I salute you all for believing in this initiative.
My person.....thank you!!! You have given me amazing support and amazing positive energy and strength to push through.

Sister Rachel of Freedom Farm, the mother of Freedom Farm, I thank you for opening your house to us. Where all the beautiful magic happens.

And a great thank you to the universe, for all the blessings bestowed upon us all.

I will post pics as soon as I can.

Thank you all, once again.

Love and light always
Stephanie

15 July 2015

Hi everyone

I had the opportunity to share Freedom Farm's story live on air, Good Hope FM yesterday morning. Within minutes a gentleman called Keyan phoned me and he has gathered funds within his workplace and friends. So I am so so pleased to say that we will be having another soup kitchen this coming Sunday!!!!

Thank you to Nigel Pearce and GHFM for interviewing me and spreading the word of Freedom Farm, Belhar.

Thank you for all the love and constant support from my person, I cant do this wihout your magic.

Thank you to all my family at work, my family at home and all my friends and the volunteers for believing in what we do.

I am super excited and still so overwhelmed.

Gratitude to the Universe!

Love and light always
Stephanie

13 July 2015

Thank you to each and everyone who contributed to our soup kitchen today. My humble THANK YOU to Pecha Kucha. Not only have you given us great exposure but also an amazing soup kitchen today with the help of all who contributed and donated.

Once again, I cannot mention enough how the humbleness and gratitude warms my heart that the families of Freedom Farm has shown today. We have made a lot of children, adults and families very very happy. A warm plate of food made with all the love in the world will warm your soul.

To all who wanted to be with us today but could not make it, you were there in spirit with us.

And thank you to my person, for giving me all the positive energy and vibes to do what I am doing.

A picture says a million words and I will post pics soon to show you what YOU have done today!

Love and light always. 
Stephanie

8 July 2015

Steph gave a talk about ladles of love soup kitchen at PechaKucha Cape Town, follow link below for more information

08Jul

PechaKucha Night 34

http://www.pechakucha-capetown.com/pechakucha-night-34

14 June 2015

Hi everyone

Next soup kitchen will be Sunday 14 June 2015. Winter is upon us and I am asking you all to spread the love this month by donating all your unwanted clothes. We were blessed with 3 bags of winter jackets and I am so so grateful for all the souls who contributed.

If you have old curtains or blankets you want to get rid of, please don't throw it away. The families at Freedom Farm will make use of it just by the means to keep warm.

4 May 2015

My sincere thank you to each and everyone who contributed towards our soup kitchen today. After receiving a plate of food, the adults of Freedom Farm always say: Thank you, God bless you. And those exact same words I pass on to each and everyone of YOU! May you be abundantly blessed for all you do for the soup kitchen. 
And the beautiful people who couldn't be with us today, we felt your presence around each and every corner.

We had an empty pot today before 1pm...and that means lots of filled, happy tummies. A good nutrition to last for a bit.

26 March 2015

I am still overwhelmed and bouncing with gratitude and joy. Thank you so so much to Jenny and Cheslan for donating all the toys!!!! I cannot wait to see the smiles on the little ones faces this coming soup kitchen, Sunday 12 April at Freedom Farm.

We will make our usual 80lt pot of food. And if you can help In any way shape or form with sweets, fruit, juice etc, please contact me.
May every soul be blessed contributing towards our soup kitchen(mentally and physically)

 

1 March 2015

Wow!! With happy tears in my eyes. Emotionally overwhelmed with deepest gratitude, love and compassion, I want to thank each and everyone for your unconditional support, love, well wishes, posts being shared on facebook. Thank you Bella&Palms Market, John and Andrea, Shanti, Daveen, Mr Norman, Karen Hart, Winslow, Faye and Mario, Wendell and David for your magic, and everyone else for your month after month support, sjoe, to all who made today's soup kitchen possible and all the previous ones. All the volunteers. All who send us well wishes and positive energy. Everyone who stood by us month after month. Sister Rachel for humbly opening her home to us every month to cook the food there. Aunty Anna, sister Rachel's wingman. The residents of Freedom Farm who always make us laugh with their individual humours. The gentleman who always sings Takhalani Sesame while he wait for his food. The kids showing their respect and patience. THANK YOU to you who is reading this post. Today YOU fed hundreds of mouths.

23 February 2015

Hi everyone

Our next soup kitchen will be this coming Sunday, 1st March at Freedom Farm, Belhar.
As per usual we will be making 80 liters of soy veg stew and hoping to get a bit of sweet treats for the little ones.
If you can assist in any way or form please get in touch with us. 
YOUR little bit can go a very long way.

Let us make Sunday a extra beautiful day for the families at Freedom Farm.

Gratitude, Love and Light always, 
Stephanie

8 February 2015

Thank you to each and every one who helped with our first soup kitchen for the year.xxxx
We felt all the love and support via the energies from you who could not be with us today.Thank you to two wonderful souls who donated stationary to us. The kids was so happy and really do appreciate it.

We will be doing our fourth year this year, and I hope and know it can only get better and better.

We have been through tough times with making half quotas of food but yet we carried forward. YOUR love and support from far and near has made it possible thus far. Do not give up hope or faith in any regard, no matter what you are going through.....

My humble gratitude to all of you and for my rock who has been carrying me.

Let us show the the love and compassion for one another each day with a bright smile;)

LOVE & LIGHT ALWAYS
Stephanie

1 February 2015

Hellloo everyone;)

We have our first soup kitchen for the year this coming Sunday, 8th February 2015. We will making our usual 80 litres food with rice.
If you can donate in any way possible, please get in touch with me. I know that the festive season has passed and school has begun and our budgets went through the roof. But if you have a little bit to spare to help us serve over 300 people on Sunday a warm plate of food, please let me know.

My humble gratitude,

LOVE AND LIGHT ALWAYS
Stephanie

 

2014

CHRISTMAS PARTY NEWS

25 November 2014

Hellloooo Everyone:)

Our Christmas party will be on the 14th December at Freedom Farm:)
This is a special party where we aim to make it as festive as posible. With jumping castles, music, party packets and of course, a cooked meal.

Please get in touch with me via our website or our Facebook page if you can help in any way shape or form to make this a memorable day for the kids and grown ups at Freedon Farm.

Love and Light always
Stephanie

5 November 2014

Hi everyone
We got a donation of 25 kilos flour! Is there anyone who can transform this into something nice for our kiddies Christmas party??? 

Please get in touch with me if you can help in any way xx

Love and Light
Stephanie

2 November 2014

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!! All of you amazing beings who made today possible. This week was heart sore for me to learn that a seven year old boy lost his mother. He is staying with his grand father in the shack and they have no form of income. And there are quite a few of these situations. That is where we make a difference. They have no form of electricity nor running water close by. They depend on little bin fires to cook a meal(if available). Every month its like a huge Sunday lunch to them. To have a warm cooked meal is like a huge blessing to them. I have promised myself that we will be there every month, even if we do struggle with donations sometimes, we will be there. And we have been there for just over two years now.

They always look forward to the little bit we can give them. Next month is Christmas. We would like to make it extra special for them. Our focus is to give them a fun day. There is so much we need and would like to do, and if you can help in any way, please get in touch with us

My humble thank you once again to all of you who take the time, effort, and cash out of your pockets to see that the families at Freedom Farm, have a warm plate of food one Sunday a month

Love and Light always
Stephanie

20 October 2014
Please donate if you can, Ladles of love www.ladlesoflove.co.za could only feed half quota last month and are battling a bit this month, whatever you can, no matter how small, thank you,follow link to get more details

5 October 2014

Thank you to an amazing 3-man crew today!!!!! thank you for standing in the heat to serve the families of Freedom Farm. Big thank you to our constant regular supporters-cooking rice, preparing the veggies, cash donations, the love, the well wishes, the constant telepathic support from the over 650 'likes' on our page! 
This would not be possible without YOU!

Big big THANK YOU!!!
When the little ones and the families smile at Freedom Farm because we can provide them with a warm meal once a month, MY HEART AND SOUL SMILES:)

Posting pics soon xx

Love and Light Always
Stephanie

29 September 2014

Hi everyone

Soup kitchen will be this coming Sunday, 5th October at Freedom Farm, Belhar. We still need 10 pockets potatoes and 10x1kg soy mince. Please let us show our love and kindness towards those who are so much less fortunate than us.

If you can help in any way, please get in touch via email or telephone +27 (0)61 109 0301 or fill out our contact form

Love and Light always
Stephanie 

7 September 2014

Huge Huge thank you to each and everyone who contributed towards today's soup kitchen. From peeling potatoes, cooking rice, dishing and serving the food, all the warm wishes, donations, clothes and all the love, feeding the ducks and chickens, just making this day so memorable, my most humble gratitude.

God Bless, 
Love and Light always,
Stephanie

25 August 2014

Next soup kitchen is Sunday 7 September at Freedom Farm, Belhar. We would like to make as much food as possible and at this I am humbly asking for your assistance. We are trying to accommodate over 500 people one Sunday in the month with a warm plate of food. I know our budgets are tight, and we can't always give. If you can help in any way shape or form to help with 80 liters of soy-veg stew, please contact me www.ladlesoflove.co.za

Love and light
Stephanie

4 August 2014

Thank you each and everyone who made today's soup kitchen possible. Amazing volunteers, sponsors, donation, cooking rice,lending a hand and amazing well wishes. All the clothes! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Again, YOU fed hundreds of mouths today. 
Posting pics soon xx

Love and Light
Stephanie

Hi all,
26 July 2014

Next soup kitchen is this coming Sunday 3rd August 2014 at Freedom Farm Farm Belhar.
If you could be of any assistance please visit www.ladlesoflove.co.za

We still need a lot of items to cover our food packets.
don't hesitate to contact me should you need further information.

love and light
Stephanie

PS: Dropped some bread at Paplaas today. Aunty Alida will make sure that each one will get get a little bit:)

Hi everyone
22 July 2014

The date has not been confirmed yet for he August soup kitchen
In the mean time we are still doing the 'beanie' drive. 
Please open your hearts by digging a little for the families of Freedom Farm. I know we all have tough times, but seeing the tough times they have, is absolutely no comparison. 
I would like to do food packets for them again. And if you can help by donating a tin of no pershibles or fresh veggies, I would be very grateful.

Let's share the little we have to create a lot of love

Love and Light
Stephanie

A huge thank you to everyone who helped
7 July 2014

A huge thank you to everyone who helped with our soup kitchen yesterday. And I literally mean, each and every one(no matter what your contribution was) The brave volunteers who stood in the cold serving the families at Freedom farm. It warmed my heart when one of the residents couldn't stop thanking us for the warm plate of food, the only means for them to cook their meal is on the fire. And due to all the rain, they had no dry wood to make a fire with. Thank you for every prayer, thought and kind words. We feel the difference we make even if you can't really see it with the naked eye.
My humble Gratitude and thanks

Love and Light 
Stephanie

Hi everyone, 
20 June 2014

Thank you for all the amazing support so far from people near and far. Our next soup kitchen will be July 6th, 11 a.m at Freedom Farm, Belhar. If you can help the families in any way, shape or form, please go complete the form below

My humble thank you always

Love and light
Stephanie 

With Uncle Sam
19 June 2014

With loads of breads and cakes for the elderly on some of the farms along the Devon Valley road.

Mandi Whelan Henning added 2 new photos to the album Steph's Ladels of Love Community Project - SW Round Table 31 — with Stephanie Benjamin and 2 others.
11 June 2014

Yesterday at 8:47am 

On Sunday 8 June 2014 the Round Table Somerset West 31 joined Stephanie Benjamin of Steph's Ladles of Love to help out with her Soup Kitchen at Freedom Farm, this was an absolute privilege and we were so blessed to be able to assist, thank you to Andre BouwerRion Henning Margi Estrela KukkukJan Zimmermann and Viv Van Zyl for being on board with me right from the beginning and supporting me on this project which is very close to my heart.

Lady C's Cakes - made the most lovely cupcakes for the Soup Kitchen on Sunday
9 June 2014

My humble thank you Tracey. I was in tears when I saw the cupcakes. Everyone at Freedom Farm was in awe of your amazing and beautiful creations:) May you always be blessed.
Love and Light
Stephanie

Lady C's Cakes
Website: http://infoladyc.wix.com/ladyccakes

Soup Kitchen - 8th June 2014
9 June 2014

Earlier this week I said that today's soup kitchen is going to be super blessed. That is the biggest understatement ever! There are no words to describe what I have experienced today.

For the first time today, I have shed tears at the soup kitchen since we've started in 2012. The beautiful cupcakes, the food packets, the party packets, the amazing volunteers, the love, the smiles, the happiness around us. I am still consumed with overwhelmness.

Thank you to each and every one who made this possible. From cooking our rice, monetary donations, veg donations, to every single one who send their well-wishes, every thought and prayer. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! Posting pics soon xx

We are right at winters door
5 June 2014
Thinking of all the thousands of homeless people, people living in shacks, families without food and warmth-make me work harder and harder in making it possible, with your help, to feed and clothe hundreds of people every month. We are right at winters door and we are so privileged and blessed with our we have in our lives. Let us take a little of the discomfort away from our struggling communities and make it slightly easier for them, being it a plate of food, a slice of bread, an extra jacket to wear.

Please go to Our Website and find out how YOU can be of assistance and ease some of the discomfort we don’t have to face every day.

Round Table 31 - Somerset West Contributes to Ladles of Love
4 June 2014

A huge thank you to Mandi Whelan Henning from Somerset West Round table 31, for your amazing donation! I am still overwhelmed:)
This Sunday's soup kitchen at Freedom Farm is going to be super blessed!

Love and Light
Stephanie

Dropped some bread at Paplaas today, just off the Stellenbosch Arterial.
27 May 2014

Situated right next to a refuse dump. Some of the families go to the dump on a daily basis to look for food. I am sad and yet happy at the same time. Sad because they have to go on a dump to find food and we didn't even know this place exist. Happy because YOU and I will try to include them in Ladles of Love from now on. So please if you have anything to donate or contribute towards this project, please contact me. 
Love and light xxxx

A BIG BIG thank you to Denver Witten( Pick 'n Pay Panorama Store manager) and Donovan(bakery) for always contacting me when they have some breads available xx

*Next soup kitchen date, 8 June at Freedom Farm 10h30*
16 May 2014
We will cook 80 litres soy-veg stew. If you can help us in any way, please let me know. Any veggies, potatoes, soy mince, stock cubes, salt, pepper, onions.

It's getting colder and colder by the day. Please spare your unwanted blankies, curtains, basically anything that can bring warmth to the families at Freedom Farm.

Many thanks,
Stephanie

*Bella at Palms Market and Spekko rice*
19 May 2014
Thank you Bella at Palms Market and Spekko rice for donating over 10kg of rice for our soup kitchen. — with Isabella Niehaus.

*Mama Dorothy's Creche*
19 May 2014
Dropped some bread a few minutes ago. Big smiles xx