Since 1935, the Service Dining Rooms has served over six million meals to those in need. On 1 July, the charity celebrates 91 years of uninterrupted service, built entirely on the generosity and shared belief of its supporters.
Cape Town, South Africa (30 June 2026) – One of Cape Town’s longest-serving non-profit organisations, the Service Dining Rooms (SDR), will mark Founder’s Day on 1 July, commemorating 91 years of continuous service to homeless and vulnerable people in the city.
Based in historic District Six, SDR has provided meals and practical support since 1935 and has, over the course of its history, served more than six million meals!
Today, the independently funded organisation provides between 275 and 350 nutritious lunchtime meals each weekday and, as economic pressures continue to affect vulnerable communities, numbers frequently reach 400.
Founder’s Day follows an extraordinary period of recognition for the organisation. After celebrating its landmark 90th anniversary in 2025, SDR received the City of Cape Town Mayor’s Medal for Community Service. This was followed, recently, by two International Non-Profit Awards from UK-based Acquisition International: the Sustained Impact Excellence Award and the award for Most Outstanding Community Support Organisation.
For SDR, however, the anniversary remains less about accolades than about recognising the thousands of people whose support has enabled the organisation to remain independent and sustain its work across generations.
Janey Ball, Operations Manager of The Service Dining Rooms, said:
“Since 1935, we have served more than six million meals to homeless and vulnerable people. The milestone and awards belong not only to our organisation, but to generations of staff, volunteers, donors and supporters whose compassion and commitment have sustained this work across nine decades. As an independently funded organisation, every meal we serve is made possible through the generosity and belief of our community.
“We are particularly grateful for the extraordinary vision of our Founder, Doris Syfret, whose belief that every person deserves dignity, nourishment and care continues to guide our work today.”
SDR’s Founder’s Day will be marked by a celebratory lunch for clients, together with opportunities to win a range of prizes. In keeping with the spirit of the occasion, every guest will also enjoy a slice of birthday cake, made possible through the kind support of Charly’s Bakery.
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Sources: Supplied
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