In honour of Nelson Mandela, the Shoprite Group joined forces with a number of community organisations under #ActForChange to upgrade food gardens, community centres and social enterprise initiatives across the country yesterday.
Some of the group’s 144 000 employees dedicated their 67 minutes to activities.
Employees from Shoprite’s home office in Cape Town visited 12 residences from Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (Noah) across the Western Cape.
Senior citizens were treated to lunch, as well as a morning of pampering, companionship and entertainment. At Noah’s Khayelitsha home, the retailer built a service hatch, which residents will use as a spaza shop.
Staff members also donated hundreds of items that will be sold at Noah’s monthly Trestle Table market, where the retailer built a carport to ensure this income-generating activity can continue during the winter months.
Noah provides housing and social enterprises for poor, needy and vulnerable senior citizens. Noah director Anne Dobson said: “Funding for NPOs is reducing due to the current economic climate.
“A solution is the development of social enterprises in order to generate income for organisations.
“South Africa is a country faced with many challenges, but there are also plenty of miracles. This partnership is one of those miracles, and the benefit will be evident for years to come.”
In Gauteng, employees volunteered at the Community Crisis Centre in Reiger Park.
The retailer partnered with Green Acre Living to assist with the development of a food garden in Boksburg, as well as Food & Trees for Africa to prepare the Ivory Park Food Garden in Midrand.
In the Eastern Cape, the group joined hands with the Ngomso Youth Foundation to upgrade their kitchen and garden, while in KwaZulu-Natal, staff upgraded facilities at the Natal Settlers Memorial Home.