Happiness is sponsoring a meal

MEALS on Wheels is a humanitarian initiative that strives to bring relief to the country’s less fortunate and aged by preparing and delivering nutritious meals to their homes. It is now calling for the support of the public.

Meals on Wheels Community Services is registered with the government as a not-for-profit organisation. It prepares and delivers more than 23 million meals annually to the poorest of the poor, and its members are determined to beat hunger in our country. It has 280 service points countrywide.

The first Meals on Wheels branch was established in East London in 1964, with the purpose of providing meals to the elderly. It has since evolved into a national programme.

In February 2012, Meals on Wheels added the Caregiver Initiative to its basket of community services. Meals on Wheels caregivers are placed in needy institutions and communities and compile a case analysis on the people living there. Once the case studies are complete, Meals on Wheels adopts the most desperate cases and then those people/families are taken care of by the Meals on Wheels caregiver team.

The long-term plan for this initiative is to a roll out caregivers who will work closely with the 280 service points around the country. The needy person or family will not only receive a cooked meal, but will also have the benefit of the services of a caregiver. Currently, many branches are making use of volunteers for this purpose and there are nine official caregivers working with extremely needy cases.

This is a unique project with the roots of the Meals on Wheels Caregiving initiative planted in the South of Johannesburg.The Meals on Wheels caregivers provide love, support and care to their beneficiaries. Services include transport to hospitals, pension collections, economical cooking lessons, social enrichment activities and outings for elderly and children, home cleaning, laundry services, counselling and more specialised care for the frail and sickly.

To sponsor a meal is R15 and people may sponsor as many meals as their budget allows. There are debit order facilities for monthly donations and also once-off donation facilities.

For more information, and to better appreciate why Meals on Wheels needs support, visit www.mow.org.za and watch the short video, “Miracle of Mercy”. Text the word MEAL to 39055 and Meals on Wheels will do the rest. SMSes cost R15. You can also call their share-call line on 0860 000 700.

Courtesy of Meals on Wheels Community Service.

Also Read:

Meals on Wheels to march in the South

Sponsor a meal for the elderly

For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.

Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You can also email our offices on cvdwalt@caxton.co.za, juliem@caxton.co.za or luckyt@caxton.co.za

Add us on WhatsApp today! Comaro Chronicle: 079 427 8074 and Southern Courier: 079 404 5789.