You have made a vital difference

As we soon enter level one of the National Lock Down in South Africa, we wish to thank everyone who has helped the Congregational Church Meals on Wheels Food Distribution service during a very challenging period. With your support, we were able to continue to provide meals to those who turned to us at times of need.

Since March 2020, when the President announced the National State of Disaster, our organisation stood strong and firm. We continued to feed those who were in need of support. Our soup queue grew substantially, and at one point, we were feeding 250 people a day. This number has fortunately settled to 180 people receiving a meal five days per week, and we hope that in level one, many of these people will find their feet and employment again.

Our 80 pensioners and disabled people still received their ready-made home cooked meals and our volunteers, following very strict protocols, often stayed and had a cup of tea and assisted with menial tasks around the home, taking the burden and loneliness of lock down out of the equation. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers for your continued support and dedication towards the organisation. Without you, we would be completely overwhelmed and unable to cope under the enormous pressures that are faced on a daily basis.

Our 20 chronically ill patients have also continued to come to the center to receive a nutritious meal. Stringent measures were and will still continue to be in place to protect everyone on the premises including those with a compromised immune system. Medication taken on an empty stomach is not as effective as when it is taken with a meal.

We are also glad to report that our 30 children are returning to the center for their daily lunch packs on their relevant rotation days. Seeing them back in school uniform and happy is such a wonderful blessing. When they are not on school rotation and when schools were in lock down, these children joined parents and guardians in the soup queue. Congratulations to all of you for being such super stars despite the academic stress that you have been faced with. We are so proud of you all!

And in a nutshell, through lock down, the Congregational Church Meals on Wheels served over 350 beneficiaries over the period March to September and we will continue to distribute food to those in need on a continual basis.

If you would like to donate towards our organisation, please email [email protected] for further information or visit www.mealsjhb.co.za