Cape Town – Community Chest, a non-profit organisation in Cape Town, has kicked off week two of its food distribution relief programme to local communities feeling the economic hardship caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.
As South Africa wrestles with the spread of the coronavirus, thousands of families are faced with food insecurity due to the national lockdown implemented on March 27, which has led to the closure of many businesses and cut off incomes.
Under the programme, every Saturday the organisation distributes thousands of food relief boxes, as determined by the organisation and the communities and networks it serves.
The programme has so far focused on communities around the Western Cape, but the organisation said that it was looking into expanding its reach to other provinces as it receives additional donor funding.
It said the contents of the food boxes are nutritionally diverse, and one box worth R400 can sustain a family of five for a month.
Each box contains beans, bread, butternut, jam, macaroni, maize, milk, a mushroom soup packet, oil, onions, oranges, peanut butter, pilchards, potatoes, rice, salt, soap, soup mix, spaghetti, split peas, tomato and onion mix, and a vegetable soup packet.
Over the course of week one of distribution, more than 15 000 individuals from 3 000 households in over 100 communities benefited.
A repeat of week one saw a further 3 000 food boxes packed and distributed.
The organisation thanked its donors, including its individual, corporate and trust donor communities, for helping them feed communities.
“You are our coalition of the committed and we salute you. We thank two major donors, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and the Solidarity Fund, for this week’s support,” the organisation said.
The distributed food parcels were valued at a total of R1.8 million.
Community Chest spokesperson Desiré Goliath urged the public and businesses to keep donating to the fund as the need grows.
“We welcome financial donations as well as in-kind product donations. Loss of income due to lockdown, as well as delayed May social grant payouts, adds a further burden to already challenged households,” Goliath said.
Community Chest has to date packed and distributed 6 000 food boxes and supplemented food security for a month for 6 000 families, amounting to over 30 000 individuals being fed in 200 communities.