Pulling up to the Soup Kitchen for Lunch in an Audi A4

Cruising the streets of Croatia’s capital Zagreb in a newish silver Audi A4. The last place one would guess where the vehicle was going to would be the soup kitchen for a free lunch. But that was the case last week after daily paper Vecernji list carried out undercover investigations at the Peščenica soup kitchen…

The Audi A4 parks up and out steps a woman in her 40’s, decked out in a Nike jacket as she makes her way inside to pick up her free food parcel. The Peščenica soup kitchen hands out free lunches to those that qualify between 11am and 2pm everyday, and Vecernji list’s sting in the carpark revealed some are turning up in Mercedes’, BMW’s and even taxis to pick up their lunch. Apart from having a member of the family disabled, the paper asked the institute running the kitchen how does one driving such a car be allowed to get free lunches? Katarina Radat, head of the Department of Social Welfare at the Peščenica home, explains that the institute is obliged to dish out the food to anyone who turns up with the appropriate ID, which is given by the City Council to those that qualify for social help or a disabled.

“Can the workers there report those who turn up in flash cars? The workers work inside and do not have a chance to see what happens outside,” said Radat, before adding.

“The question is who the car is registered to. We do get reports about cars in the parking lot, but without a name and surname we can not do anything,” concluded Radat.