The soup kitchen will serve the community of Springs, focussing on schools, and individuals in communities who do not have the means or are able to travel to a soup kitchen.
Chanre van der Merwe, SpringsCare CEO, says their stationary unit serve soup and bread on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Since the mobile unit has been operational in June, they have been able to serve 1 711 people.
“We have been able to adopt two schools in Springs and started serving soup to the learners who are on a feeding scheme,” she says.
On Mandela day alone they served soup to 300 people in informal settlements and in Springs.
Mpact cyclists is responsible for donating R334 000 to Springscare, enabling them to buy a mobile kitchen.
These cyclists took part in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge “Ride for a Purpose” last year to raise the money.
Having learned that many Mpact employees are cyclists, Vaughn Wood, human resources manager, and his team decided to initiate a corporate social investment project “Make an impact with Mpact” that goes beyond just hand-outs.
“We believe this mobile kitchen will help SpringsCare to feed children attending poorly-resourced local schools in the greater Springs community,” says Howard Emmett, general manager of Mpact.
She says an important fact to consider is that providing even one meal a day will enable these children to get a better education as no one can learn on an empty stomach.
“It is their wish to truly engage with communities in a sustainable manner so that the effort is authentic, extending beyond merely providing hand-outs out of a sense of duty.
With 28 Mpact employees already entered in the 2014 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge under the “Make an impact with Mpact” initiative, they hope the event is even more successful.
She says this will allow the company to continue to assist local communities.