Skid Row soup kitchen boss slams Meghan Markle

THE Hippie Kitchen in downtown Los Angeles is known around the world for giving a teenage Meghan Markle her start in charity. But they aren’t too happy about that.

EXCLUSIVE

A MANAGER at the soup kitchen where a teenage Meghan Markle volunteered has criticised the future princess for talking up her good deeds there but not following through with any help.

The days she spent as a teenager helping serve more than 3000 meals a week to the tent-city inhabitants of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles have become a celebrated chapter in Markle’s aspirational story, shared in speeches and articles she wrote on her now defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig.

MORE: Windsor’s incredible $5 million makeover

MORE: Shock cost of Meghan’s wedding dress

RELATED: Prince Harry and Meghan reveal their engagement secrets

Caleb Havens, Associate Director of Hippie Kitchen. Picture: Angus Mordant/News Corp Australia

But the associate director of Hippie Kitchen, Caleb Havens, was dismissive of the connection in an exclusive interview with News Corp Australia, described her as “someone who volunteered here once a long time ago”.

Havens said he would prefer attention was on the work the centre does and improving conditions for the 5000 homeless people who they look after.

“If Meghan wants to help out there are a million ways she can do that,” he said.

The kitchen area at Hippie Kitchen. Picture: Angus Mordant/NewsCorp Australia

“If she has an extra toaster we will take it, if she wants to write a check, we’ll take it, but we haven’t heard from her since that one time in high school, so we are not holding our breath.”

Havens said the centre had been overwhelmed with international interest since the connection with Markle became known.

He agreed to an early morning interview with News Corp while he and other volunteers were getting ready for breakfast, but said: “You will have to talk to me while I am sweeping, because we have important work that we are doing”.

Homeless people from the surrounding Skid Row neighbourhood wait outside Hippie Kitchen. Picture: Angus Mordant/NewsCorp Australia

Tents line the streets in the Skid Row neighbourhood which is reportedly home to up to 5,000 homeless people every night. Picture: Angus Mordant/NewsCorp Australia

“We feed 3000 people a week, we have a dentist, we have a foot clinic, we give out haircuts on Wednesday and it would be really cool if somebody wanted to talk about the human rights that are being suppressed in this neighbourhood, more than, you know Meghan, who may

or may not have volunteered a long time ago.

“She probably did, we know her teacher and her teacher brings volunteers in all the time and one dude who organised during that time said he thinks he remembers her.”

Markle has said she first volunteered at the Hippie Kitchen as a 13 year old, and returned with her Immaculate Heart High School teacher in her final years at school. A school spokeswoman confirmed this was her understanding last week.

A school picture of Meghan Markle on a board commemorating the class of 1999 at Immaculate Heart High School. Los Angeles. Picture: Angus Mordant/NewsCorp Australia

Asking: “Hasn’t white privilege done enough to people who don’t have rights?”, Mr Havens said the centre had not felt any of the fabled “Meghan effect” which sells out fashion lines when she is spotted wearing them.

“But what else do you want to know — is she Princess Diana? We haven’t heard from her since so I mean, I dunno.”

The kitchen serves meals three days a week and opens on other days for further services.

His colleague Micah Wullschlegger said: “You know what’s a good story, is what they do with all the homeless people when they have their Royal weddings. What do they do with all the people who live along the parade route?”

Originally published as Skid Row soup kitchen boss slams Meghan Markle