Food Lover’s Market and partners have raised 1 030 888 meals to feed vulnerable South Africans through FoodForward SA during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The fresh produce retailer launched Hunger Month, an extension of World Hunger Day, in 2017. It is now in its fourth consecutive year – with a cumulative 2 964 734 raised over these four years.
During May, shoppers could show their support by purchasing these related products in any Food Lover’s Market stores: Tru-Cape: 1.5kg Econopak apples and pears ; ZZ2 – All varieties of 6kg tomatoes; Simpl juice – All varieties of 1.5l juice; Westfalia – A box of avocados and Crestshelf – 7kg pocket of potatoes
Says Kate Marais, CSI Manager for the Food Lover’s Market Group, “The Hunger Month initiative has grown to be the success it is today because of the generosity of our partners and our customers.”
“Since the inception of this campaign in 2017, Food Lover’s Market has donated almost 3 million meals through the Hunger Month campaign alone, all of which would not have been made possible without the support from our wonderful partners. We welcome the fact that several major South African retailers have also initiated their own campaigns to raise an equal number of meals for the vulnerable.”
Established in 2009, FoodForward SA aims to address widespread hunger in South Africa by recovering quality edible surplus food from the supply chain environment and distributing it to registered community organisations that serve the most vulnerable. More than 80% of the food recovered by FoodForward SA is nutritious food.
“FoodForward SA is privileged to have generous partners such as Food Lovers Market, their customers and supply-chain partners, to help us achieve our vision of a South Africa without hunger. It is heartwarming to see how this campaign has grown over the four years, now raising enough funds to provide 1 million meals. These funds will be allocated to reaching more vulnerable people over the cold winter months,” says Andy Du Plessis – Managing Director of FoodForwardSA.
Says Tru-Cape Managing Director, Roelf Pienaar, “Tru-Cape has supported Hunger Month for a number of years now – but in 2020, with the impact of Covid-19, the need seemed that much greater. Tru-CapeT is pleased to be able to contribute in this important way in helping put food on the table. We thank our loyal customers for purchasing Tru-Cape products at Food Lover’s stores which has allowed us to contribute to more than one million meals for the hungry.”
Concludes Marais, “We are thrilled that we can donate over 1 million meals to a range of children’s homes, old age homes and other beneficiaries of the Food Forward SA programme. While we know that the important work doesn’t stop with this campaign and Hunger Month is only one facet of our very busy directive to feed the hungry in South Africa, we are happy that this could make an impact in the drive to feed the hungry and vulnerable.”
