‘No child should go hungry’ – Wentworth organisation

FOR more than 50 years the non-profit organisation, Wentworth Meals on Wheels Community Services, has made it their duty to ensure no child goes hungry.

But with the rising food prices, and limited sponsorships since the Covid-19 pandemic, they are feeling the pinch.

The organisation, which falls under the national brand, Meals On Wheels Community Services (KNFSA), caters for children from six primary schools and one high school in Wentworth.

They also provide meals to the elderly, those utilising the Wentworth hospital and at times the community at large.

ALSO READ: Brighton Beach police give back to children’s home

Theresa Saber, the branch manager, said their main goal, however, was to supply a daily lunch to children at the schools.

“We currently cater for between 50 to 100 children per school. We initially provided a meal on Mondays and Wednesdays, but since the pandemic, we started providing a meal for the school week. We found that families were still impacted and we could not allow any child to go hungry.

“We provide hot meals such as savoury rice, macaroni and cheese, dhall and rice, as well as egg or polony chutney, among other meals. We also make sandwiches, such as egg and mayo. We also provide the school with bread and a filling such as peanut butter, jam, chocolate spread, cheese, or polony, which they then make on alternate days.

“Our goal is to give the children a proper meal, one that keeps their stomachs full and enables them to concentrate throughout the day, ” she said.

ALSO READ:Home for vulnerable children appeals for help

Saber said they also provide a hot meal and dessert to about 30 elders in the community every Friday.

“We also serve a meal or a sandwich and something to drink to people going to and from Wentworth Hospital every Wednesday. We serve about 200 people on the day, and sometimes people from the community also come for meals. We don’t refuse anyone. We also provide a meal to one of the senior citizens clubs in the area every Monday,” she said.

Saber said among their challenges was the rising cost of food and limited sponsorship.

ALSO READ: Bluff baby home provides love and care for 25 years

“We use about 80 loaves of bread a week and even though we do get it at a discounted rate from one of the local stores, we spend between R800 to R1 000 a week. We also spend quite a bit on other items for hot meals and sandwich fillings such as peanut butter and jam, which are also very high priced. We have to be on the lookout for specials at all times.

“While we do receive food items from our national branch, it depends on what items they receive through donations and it has distributed to all branches. So, we also rely on the goodness of our local sponsors, but many of the businesses that sponsor us have reduced what they donate due to also being impacted by the pandemic.

“However, by the grace of God we are still able to do the work that we do and keep to our goal of fighting hunger. But any assistance, be it cash or kind would be greatly appreciated, as we continue to support people most in need,” she said.

If you would like to assist the organisation, contact Saber on 073 576 0170.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram.