The owner of a Ħamrun cafeteria confirmed she often gives free food to people in genuine need, with no fanfare involved, while denying claims that food is left outside.
Louise Pace spoke to WhosWho.mt to clarify the situation after the Infinite Facts Facebook page claimed she leaves warm food outside her cafeteria – Cafe De Republic – door every night for struggling families.
She confirmed that she doesn’t leave food outside for health and safety reasons, pointing out that doing so could attract rats.
However, she said that when her doors are open and she spots people in genuine need of help, she doesn’t hesitate to offer them something to eat or drink free of charge.
“One man once asked me if he could have a piece of bread, and I realised he was genuinely in need since he had asked for bread, and not money,” Ms Pace said.
“I told him to have a seat and gave him a hot meal on the house.”
Another time, a client had ordered a trifle but didn’t pick it up, so she donated it to the Fondazzjoni Sebħ institute for domestic violence victims in Ħamrun.
Besides food and drink, she said she once even gave a man a school jacket to help keep him sheltered.
Ms Pace said that most of the people who require her assistance are foreign men and that some of them feel a sense of shame about being fed for free.
“I tell them that it’s my business, that I won’t tell anyone, and that I can give them a receipt if it makes them feel more comfortable.”
Ms Pace said she uses her own common sense to figure out the truly genuine cases and that she doesn’t let anyone take her for a ride.
“Once someone asked me for €2 but I noticed he was holding a brand new packet of cigarettes – if he was really hungry he wouldn’t have even bought those cigarettes.”
And when asked why she goes out of her way to help people, many of whom are complete strangers to her, she said that it is just part of her nature.
“It’s part of who I am,” she said.
