We found an incredible place in KL that serves dinner meals from as low as RM1!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that everything in KL is a thousand times more expensive than anywhere else around it.

So why would this little cafe, that’s smack in the heart of the city, be serving dinner meals for as low as RM1? Actually, scratch that. It’s not even RM1. You literally pay whatever you want to pay… even if it’s 10 sen!

But before you go there in droves, you should know that….

 

… it’s actually meant to help the needy la!

Located just a few steps away from Pasar Seni, Pit Stop Community Cafe plans to eradicate hunger of the homeless, or as they prefer to call it their ‘street friends’ or ‘street clients’, by giving these people second chances. We got in contact with Joycelyn Lee (co-founder of Pit Stop Community Cafe), to give us more insights on what they’re doing.

During the cafe’s lunch hour, their meals go on a commercial basis. What this means is, anyone can come in and order their food like a normal cafe. But y’know what, it’s STILL really affordable.

 

The funds from the lunch menu will help them run the dinner service at night.

Their dinner service starts at 5.30pm, where it’s up to the street clients to pay for their food. The cafe runs on a Pay-As-You-Feel system, so people can still pay less than RM1 and still get their meal. 

” …if they can and if they so choose, they put whatever they can afford in a contribution box. There is no amount too small or too big.” – Joycelyn

By allowing them to pay for themselves, it gives them a sense of independence… sorta like an achievement they’ve unlocked by themselves. The cafe doesn’t discriminate any of their clients and all are welcomed to line up for food.

“…just because they do not currently have a roof over their head – it doesn’t mean they want to exist on charity every day. ” – Joycelyn

 

Besides feeding them, the cafe wants to train them AND help them get a job

One thing that sets Pit Stop apart from soup kitchens is the fact that they provide skill-based lessons to the homeless.

Joycelyn told us that they offer this super cool intensive six-month culinary program for underprivileged youths aged between 16 – 25. If they get through the interviews and evaluations, they will undergo the program which also includes English, Math, Geography and basic financial management.

The cafe’s classes are usually conducted by volunteer teachers. They used to have English lessons, but need teachers who can commit on a regular basis to continue having them.

By matching the right people with the right employers, the cafe provides job registration and placements for some of their clients. That’s why they also distribute non-food sanitary items. This way, they’ll have access to items like soap and razors before going for interviews.

Besides being trained, their skills are also advertised in the cafe itself, ranging from cleaners to cafe helpers. Five of the staff in the cafe were formerly homeless as well. Joycelyn gathered them and provided accommodation, because they were people who were also willing to help and give back.

 

Not only do the people get a second chance. The food also gets a second chance!

The cafe doesn’t get their food from any regular supermarkets or pasar. They actually collaborate with the Food Aid Foundation to make their food. The foundation collects unwanted food (the food is edible, it’s just unused) from wholesalers or any other retail markets, otherwise it’s be gone to waste.

This is called re-purposing food, which is a really useful concept adopted, considering Malaysians waste 15,000 tonnes of food daily!

Because the cafe has a strict don’t waste food policy, anyone who is seen wasting food can get themselves banned. It might sound harsh, but it’s a totally legit reasons to do it lah.

We’d think that they’re always starving right? But there have been reports of homeless people not finishing the food and throwing it away. It happens, just because they can head over to other soup kitchens when they’re not full enough. And when they do and they can’t finish their food, it’s thrown away.

 

In the end, their street friends get to decide what to do with themselves

It’s not easy being homeless in KL. The government has actually tried banning soup kitchens from giving out food to the homeless. There was also a rumour that DBKL tried dumping homeless people from KL onto highways. They later denied it and said they only provided the lorries and officers to help the National Anti-Drug Agency, and whatever the agency did wasn’t any of their business. Uh…okay. Despite that, a few of them still insist they were dumped at places like Rawang and the Karak Highway. Lousiest one-day-trip ever!  🙁

Some homeless people come from complicated backgrounds. Some are abandoned by their families. Some also end up homeless because they’ve lost their jobs. But whatever it is, if they want to make a change in their life, why not help?

“It’s not just about giving someone food, it’s about giving someone their dignity back” – Joycelyn Lee

The most awesome thing provided in the cafe is the dignity of choice. It starts as something as small as deciding what they want to eat, a privilege regular soup kitchens can’t give. On top of that, the lessons given may be their key to a self-sustaining future.

Homelessness is an issue that won’t be resolved anytime soon. Their numbers on the streets show it. We’re also not saying monetary donations don’t help, but it can’t be a long-term solution. Probably the best way we could curb this problem is by offering a hand up, not a hand out.

So, if you’d like try their scrumptious food, do head over to check them out (PSA! Closed on Tuesdays). Also, they’re constantly on the look out for volunteers on their FB page, so you could help where you can.