The Domino Foundation makes 1 200 sandwiches weekly

FIVE volunteers for The Domino Foundation’s Nutrition programme makes 1 200 peanut butter sandwiches weekly at their Amanzimtoti kitchen.

“Our volunteers, who have gathered for the weekly buttering-spreading-wrapping routine, have it down to a fine art. One-thousand-two-hundred peanut butter sandwiches are ready to be delivered to 13 schools, ECD centres, churches and a community centre, some well beyond a 20 kilometre radius of the kitchen, which is situated at Kingsway Church International, Doonside,” said their communications officer, Rowan Phillips.

Team leader, Cheryl Dann, said these volunteers faithfully give their time and energy to ensure that 1 000 children on the sandwich programme and the 3 000 on the porridge programme receive nutritious food.

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“We call this the learners’ ‘food for thought’ because studies have shown that healthy food isn’t only for good physical growth, it is also essential for the way children’s brains develop. And these generous people are making sure that the children get it,” said Dann.

Two of the volunteers, Lizzy Cullen and Pat Manton, have been regulars since 2016 when the kitchen started operating.

Cullen said, “Besides the fulfilment and reward of knowing that we are helping to feed desperately hungry children, it is also helping us as individuals. Being a volunteer at the Toti Kitchen enables us to join a ‘sandwich family that cares for the community and for us as individuals.”

Manton added that, “It keeps us young and our minds busy and we have amazing fellowship and made so many friends. My favourite is when we visit the schools and get to love and care for the children.”

Another volunteer, André Botes, whose a retired Seadoone Mall car guard, was adamant when he said a real man can rustle up a mean sandwich.

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When Botes first got in touch with the nutrition team, he was helped with food hampers until they were able to get him into a retirement home. Making sandwiches is his way of giving back to the community.

Dann said, “We have ‘adopted’ him at Domino and this is really a picture of the saying that God sets the lonely in families. We are thrilled that Botes is part of our ‘extended family’.”

Dann went on to say that the nutrition programme would love to give other members of the communities on the South Coast the chance to also be part of the answer to keeping children in school and developing well both physically and intellectually.

Anyone who is interested in finding out the roles they could play can contact Cheryl Dann on 083 201 0554 or nutritionsouth@domino.org.za.

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