‘I’m making a meal for every homeless person in England and I want Leeds pubs and cafes to get involved’
“It’s probably one of the most heart-filled pieces of food you’ll ever have”
A former professional basketball player has challenged Leeds pubs and cafes to support his goal to create a meal for every homeless person in Britain.
Former professional basketball player Jefe Okoro is the founder of Jefes Ramen, an initiative which uses a buy-one-give-one model to donate warm meals to homeless people.
Jefes Ramen pop-ups are hosted at pubs and cafes across the country and for every ramen bowl bought by a customer, a matching bowl is given to a homeless person free of charge.
“Other than it being one of the nicest ramen bowls out there with a blast of fresh ingredients, it’s probably one of the most heart-filled pieces of food you’ll ever have in your life,” Jefe told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“It’s gonna feed someone else and make them smile.”
The pop-ups aim to bring crowds to food establishments during quiet times, and ensure homeless people have access to a warm meal.
After launching in Stockport, Jefe said the scheme is “growing like wildfire” as Birmingham, Bristol, Salford, and Southampton are all set to host Jefes Ramen nights.
Now the 35-year-old wants to bring the scheme to Leeds and he is challenging pubs and cafes within the city to get in touch to make this possible.
It’s part of Jefe’s ultimate ambition to donate 382,000 ramen bowls through the scheme with each meal representative of one homeless person in England.
Jefe said: “Everyone’s dealing with life but the homeless can’t do anything with our excuses.
“There are 382,000 reasons to help them.”
Though Jefe is a former professional basketball star, having played for teams such as the London Lions and Manchester Giants, he has also been homeless, and it’s this experience which makes him motivated to keep Jefes Ramen going.
“I thought that every homeless person was just someone on the street but there are people that are walking beside us, talking to us daily that are in these situations,” Jefe said.
“I don’t think people understand just how close they are to it. You can be one life problem away from being in a very difficult situation.”
To make his mission of making 382,000 ramen bowls for the homeless possible, Jefe has launched an online fundraiser on Crowdfunder.
By bringing the scheme to as many UK neighbourhoods as possible, he wants to build people’s empathy and show that we all have the power to help each other.
Jefe said: “You might be in that situation one day and you’re gonna be invisible.
“If we create this habit now, no matter what situation you’re in, if it does get worse people will still care for you.”