Over R2.6 million has been donated by the public in just 10 days through Pick n Pay’s Feed the Nation campaign. This is in addition to the initial R5 million that Pick n Pay donated, together with the Ackerman family, and funds from several Pick n Pay executives.

Pick n Pay is partnering with local organisations, suppliers and customers to help raise funds, source and distribute food and basic hygiene essentials to individuals and communities most vulnerable during the lockdown period.

“School closures have meant that many schoolchildren who were dependent on school feeding schemes for their main – sometimes only – meal of the day, have been left without food. Shelters for the homeless and orphanages, who depend on public generosity, are now also without aid,” says Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, transformation director at Pick n Pay.

“During this crisis, we need to help those who don’t have a support system to fall back.”

“Cash donations at till points and converted Smart Shopper points contributed R 750,000 of the total, which is incredible at a time like this, and shows how we are uniting as a nation. A donation of just R21 at the till point will help provide a daily meal to someone in need for a week,” explains Ackerman-Berman.

From these generous donations, the Feed the Nation campaign has worked with 90 local organisations to provide over 1 million meals provided to date. This includes a R500,000 monetary donation to both FoodForward SA (FFSA) and Joint Aid Management (JAM), two of the campaign’s main beneficiary organisations.

Pick n Pay and Boxer stores across the country have also set up collection trolleys in store to provide non-perishable food items to welfare and charity organisations in the store’s immediate community.

Apart from donating funds to organisations serving those in need during this crisis, Pick n Pay is also playing an essential service in collecting food, making up hampers and delivering to those in need. “Many beneficiary organisations are wanting to do so much good but are battling to buy and transport food because of travel restrictions during lock down. We are making good use of our supply chain to help facilitate this,” says Ackerman-Berman.

Many store staff have also assisted with packing thousands of food parcels which will feed a family of four for a month. For example, in Cape Town, 2,100 hampers were packed for Masiphumelele and 2,500 hampers for the Hout Bay community. Boxer Superstores in Durban assembled and delivered over 2,500 hampers – valued at over R1 million – to families in need identified through the Pick n Pay School Club.

“Across Cape Town and Johannesburg, 650 tonnes of food is currently being packed and transported by our logistics partners – Unitrans and Super Group – to provide Afrika Tikkun with 26 000 food hampers for distribution to their beneficiaries. This will provide 3.2 million meals.”

Ackerman-Berman concludes, “Every donation counts. We’re absolutely delighted at how the public has rallied behind this campaign so far. We know just how much we can do when we work together.”

Customers can help Feed the Nation in four easy ways:

1.     Donate at the till point of any Pick n Pay store: A donation of just R21 will provide a daily meal to someone in need for a week.

2.     Donate online at www.pnp.co.za/feed-the-nation

3.  Donate in-store: Feed the Nation collection trolleys will also be available in most stores and these donations will go to local welfare and charity organisations in the store’s immediate community.

4.     Donate Smart Shoppers to FoodForward SA (this can be done via the PnP app or in-store at the kiosk)

Article Source: https://www.supermarket.co.za/news-article.asp?ID=8475&CatTags=20-Social%20Responsibility