Mandela Day Food Drive SUCCESS!

Food and the lack thereof has always been a heartfelt concern for us. With the staggering number of people in our country going hungry every day, it made the wonderful success of our Mandela Day Food Drive so much more amazing!

Thanks to your incredible generosity, we managed to SMASH our original fund raising target of R6 700: Together we raised R14 493.85, allowing us to provide over 4 000 meals!!!

This success enables us to make a lasting impact in the Fisantekraal community, where we’ve partnered with Alletta's Soup Kitchen, which we refurbished last year. Alletta runs her soup kitchen right at the doorstep of the informal settlement, tirelessly feeding hundreds of people - including many children and the elderly - multiple times per week. Her dedication, along with volunteers, Sindi, Zanele, and Irnest, is fuelled by love and sheer willpower as they prepare hearty, nutritious meals for their community.

When we visited Alletta and her team last week on one of their soup kitchen days, we were awestruck by the number of people waiting in front of her home, tupperware in hand, ready to receive a meal. Within 15 minutes, two massive pots of food had been served, showing how smoothly and efficiently her team worked. But despite their speed, they never lost their warmth, greeting each person with a smile. When we asked if they were proud of what they do, their eyes shone as they exclaimed, "Oh yes!" - clearly overjoyed and full of heart for the work they do.

However, Alletta goes above and beyond her scheduled soup kitchen days, always opening her door to those in need. Never turning away a hungry person, she often shares from her own family’s food supply to make sure her neighbours are cared for. To help her with her incredible work, we purchased a second-hand box freezer. This would not have been possible without Judy and Gary Kelly's contribution to our Food Drive - THANK YOU! This valuable resource will help Alletta to make the food preparations easier and more efficient. But, our main aim was to create a long-term solution to help her feed her community on days that the soup kitchen is not operational: We provided Alletta with Maxiblend food parcels, onions and carrots, which she whipped up into a hearty dish and packed into biodegradable bags of ready-to-eat meals. These cooked meals were frozen, allowing her to pass them out to those in need as they come to her door - sometimes late into the night - ensuring that no one leaves hungry. 

With the funds raised, we will continue to support her efforts by keeping the freezer stocked, allowing her to do this for as long as our Mandela Day Food Drive fund lasts. It is our dream to establish this as an ongoing project, continuing to support Alletta to feed her community, long after our Mandela Day Food Drive funds run out.

Please help us make this dream a reality, and donate towards our ongoing efforts! Remember - only R67 provides 20 meals! Every bit makes a difference.

The One Percent Movement
FNB 62924632749 (Gold Business)
Branch: 250655
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ

Use FOOD DRIVE as reference when making your donation, and we'll ensure your money goes towards feeding the hungry!

Alletta and Juanita, proudly showing off the new freezer and the food parcels. Alletta shared that this incredible resource has already made her life and her worthy work so much easier!

Angels Zanele and Sindi, ready to serve!

"Take my picture!"
*Snap!*
"Where is this photo going?"
"In our blog post - Alletta will show you next time."
*Laughs heartily*
"I'm going to make you all famous!"

If you would like more information on our current projects or want to get involved, please contact Juanita Berry:

juanita@essentiallynatural.co.za
073 274 1915