Mandela Day Food Drive Targets 2 Million Meals

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In the last two years, the food drive has collected and donated 281 tonnes of food to beneficiaries in need.

Pick n Pay and FoodForward SA on Tuesday called on South Africans to contribute towards the ambitious goal of collecting 500 tonnes of food which will produce two million meals.

This comes after the two organisations launched their third annual food drive as part of their Mandela Day initiative.

The food collected in the Mandela Day Food Drive supports the 530 beneficiary organisations in FoodForward SA’s national distribution network.

FoodForward SA, in a joint statement, said the donations would not only help with immediate needs but would also assist in stocking its warehouses with staple food reserves for months when supply was low.

In the last two years, the Mandela Day Food Drive has collected and donated 281 tonnes of food to beneficiaries in need. This equated to 1.1 million meals.

To reach its target of two million meals this year, the Mandela Day Food Drive will run over a three-week period compared to one Collection Weekend in previous years.

Suzanne Ackerman-Berman from Pick n Pay said everyone could participate, be it through the donation of time or food.

“Every effort – no matter how big or small – will play a role in helping to feed those who go hungry every day. Together we can feed the nation,”

Suzanne Ackerman-Berman.

FoodForward SA said almost 20% of households in South Africa had inadequate or severely inadequate access to food.

The latest figures by Stats SA showed that 6.8 million South Africans experienced hunger in 2017.

“The FoodForward SA Mandela Day Food Drive gives everyone an opportunity to join the fight against hunger by buying basic food ingredients at any PnP store or by joining our packing events on Mandela Day,”

“It’s not only a good cause, but it is also fun and builds unity across South Africa.”

Andy Du Plessis, FoodForward SA.

South Africans can get involved in the initiative by purchasing a non-perishable item and dropping it into the branded collection trolley or make a cash donation at the till point.

Consumers are also asked to volunteer 67 minutes ahead of Mandela Day on July 18 to help with the Collection Weekend efforts in-store from 12 – 14 July and can contact their nearest Pick n Pay store for more information.

Donations can also be done with Smart Shopper points to FoodForward SA by selecting “Donate points to charity” on the app or at the kiosk in-store and selecting FoodForward SA as the beneficiary.

Source: The Citizen