Cape Town – A Blackheath resident who started a food parcel drive with a R10 000 donation from an anonymous donor has been praised by a needy pensioner.
Jason de Vries, 29, has been distributing food parcels to the disabled, widowed and orphaned, as well as to poor children for the past two weeks.
A spray painter by trade, he said he started the food drive after he’d had to beg for food for himself on social media.
“I prayed hard that Sunday and immediately after that prayer an anonymous person had sent me R10 000,” he said.
“I was surprised because that was a lot of money. After thinking about what to do with it I decided to spend it on others. I told myself that it was God’s blessing and a way of telling me to assist the needy,” he said.
His food project covers areas around Mfuleni, Delft and Eerste River.
Pensioner Thandiwe Ndongeni said she had been starving for days before she received a food parcel from De Vries.
The 66-year-old grandmother from Happy Valley said she lived with her five grandchildren and most of her pension money went towards paying the rent.
“I had not eaten for three days
before this child found me – I had
no hope,” she said.
Ndongeni said De Vries also
helped her get a job at a church so
that she could provide for her family.
“This boy is God-sent, I tell you,
he has a big heart for such a young
child,” she said.
Anyone who wishes to help with
this initiative can get in touch with
De Vries at 067 926 9839.
Separately, the Eric and
Charmaine Mabuza Foundation has
funded a food relief drive in the
Western Cape.
The foundation is working with
Zamani Holdings and the Southern
Suburbs Legal Advice Centre (SSLAC), a
registered trust that provides free legal
advice and human rights training.
The drive will see food parcels
delivered to more than 11 areas, including Lavender Hill, Vrygrond,
Phumlani and Ocean View.
“The Eric and Charmaine
Mabuza Foundation and SSLAC
fully support the decisive action
taken by President Cyril Ramaphosa
and the national government to
help mitigate the health, labour
market and economic impact the
coronavirus will have on destitute
communities. Due to income losses, most
families have not been able to put
food on the table.
“We are also aware that local
governments are overwhelmed by
the large amount of requests for
food in these areas. As a responsible
corporate citizen, it was important
for us to step up and heed the call
of the president and help bridge
the gap,” said Charmaine Mabuza,
co-founder of the foundation.