The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything, and poses a serious challenge not only to our health and economic well-being, but also to our society’s basic structures of social cohesion.
Despite the fear and anxiety, a new reality emerged, founded in brave human compassion, social solidarity and neighbourly care witnessed in people putting their own lives on hold to support those who have been stricken by the virus.
Such human compassion became the decisive determination with which the Gordon’s Bay Outreach Lockdown Feeding Project was formed.
Through embracing neighbourly kindness and thorough planning, the Gordon’s Bay Lions Club, Gordon’s Bay Residents’ Association, Gordon’s Bay Outreach, Gordon’s Bay Neighbourhood Watch, and the Gordon’s Bay United Church joined hands to form the feeding project as a way to support those severely affected by the raw reality of hunger.
The Gordon’s Bay Outreach Lockdown Feeding Project provides weekly food parcels to families pushed to the edge of day-to-day survival, and cooked meal three times a week at the Door of Hope in Temperance Town.
The food parcels are packed and delivered with great care by the volunteers to those in need.
The contents of the food parcels are sourced through donations, and usually contains tinned fish, vegetables, mielie-meal, eggs, bread, pasta, toilet paper, soap, milk, sugar and tea, to address the basic dietary needs of a family for a week.
The approximately 150 cooked meals a day are prepared at the homes of a team of compassionate cooks: Desmain Bagus, Francis Boltman and Gertruida Apollis, residing in Temperance Town, and served at the nearby Door of Hope.
Not only do they ensure that everyone queuing for food adheres to social distancing, wears masks and have sanitised hands, they also deliver cooked meals to the elderly and disabled living in Temperance Town.
Since lockdown started, the Gordon’s Bay Outreach Lockdown Feeding Project has received donations of more than R300 000, but is now running short of funding,
It has, during this period, assisted over 200 needy families, and is still supporting 72 families with food parcels month on month, together with the Temperance Town soup kitchen.
They are in dire need of supplies to provide a cooked meal to about 150 people three times a week.
The project has received no support from any government organisation, and survives purely on the generosity of the community.
The pandemic has changed everything, and those involved in the project need help to lighten the load of families facing the raw reality of hunger.
Your contribution can be a couple of bunches of carrots, or a lovingly packed box filled with nutritious vegetables and fruit, or tinned food, or even a financial contribution.
Should anyone want to contribute towards the feeding scheme, contact any of the following members, and they will arrange collection:
Doreen at 079 511 4429 (Gordon’s Bay Outreach); Edwina at 082 384 9699 (Gordon’s Bay Residents Association); Paula at 082 896 8913 (Gordon’s Bay Lions Club); Ian at 082 294 7438 (Gordon’s Bay United Church); or Anne at 081 445 3071 (Gordon’s Bay Neighbourhood Watch).
Suzanne Herbst is the marketing and public relations officer of the Gordon’s Bay Lions Club.
