Five charities fighting food shortages — and how you can help them

Food shortages, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, constitute one of the most critical situations to have arisen from last week’s social unrest and looting, which, in addition to other things, led to the destruction of food stores, products and wares.

In rural parts of KwaZulu-Natal, people are relying on food deliveries and charitable interventions to access even the most basic foodstuffs.

The good news is that many organisations and businesses are hard at work amassing funds and food to deliver to people in need.

Here are a handful of these charitable initiatives, plus how you can help them achieve their goals:

KIND CRATES

Kind Crates is a fresh food delivery service that donates a portion of its proceeds to a social cause every month, even under normal circumstances.

In a bid to do its part to alleviate the food shortages now ongoing in KZN, Kind Crates is offering its customers the opportunity to donate a crate of produce, either to an individual of their choice, or to one of its pickup points.

Visit kindcrates.co.za to find out more about how Kind Crates has been using its powers for good, and to make a contribution of your own.

THE ANGEL NETWORK

Non-profit organisation The Angel Network has been working with HopeSA to send a full cargo truck and plane’s worth of food staples to KwaZulu-Natal.

It has already made two deliveries to date.

Visit theangelnetwork.co.za to learn more, or to make a donation.

CHEFS WITH COMPASSION

Chefs with Compassion (CWC) is a collaborative venture that aims to combat food waste, donating surplus ingredients to kitchens where they can be cooked and distributed to those in need.

Now, CWC is looking to do its part in assisting KwaZulu-Natal, and has been sending trucks of pre-cooked meals to affected parts of the province, also accepting donations of non-perishables and essential items such as nappies and baby formula. 

Visit CWC's Facebook page to find out more.

GIFT OF THE GIVERS

Gift of the Givers is a well-known disaster response organisation which mobilises funds to provide relief at speed when the situation demands it.

It has been providing relief to those areas worst affected by looting and food shortages, stocking its warehouses and distributing essentials to the communities in question, as well as to healthcare workers who do not have time to see to the needs of their own families while dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.

To make a donation, visit giftofthegivers.org and follow the instructions on its website.

FEED SA

As its name suggests, Feed SA is an NGO that runs feeding schemes and community development programmes across SA, catering to crèches, hospices, and the elderly, as well as to vulnerable communities in general.

Over the past year-and-a-half, Feed SA has also initiated a “Covid-19 Action Plan” to deal with the economic fallout of the global pandemic, and its implications for hunger and poverty.

If you would like to contribute to an organisation with an ongoing investment in food security initiatives, Feed SA is an ideal choice. Visit feedsa.co.za to find out more.