11 000 meals distributed by RySky and local businesses to the needy
“It’s a continuous collection that is part of the food security drive.”
Over 11 000 meals were donated to those in need when the NPO RySky partnered with several businesses and organisations.
These meals, collected in July and August, were donated by Greenstone Shopping Centre, House of Style Models, Compass Care Centre, Grasses and Greens, AGT Foods Africa and Doorways to Dignity.
The founder of the NPO, Annamaria Lechki, said the RySky/KCCC Foundation Jars of Hope drive was part of a community provision and social service that aimed to provide food security.
Although it’s an ongoing project, Mandela Day highlighted the initiative when jars were filled with half a cup of rice, half a cup of lentils, half a cup of soup mix, stock cubes and a packet of soup mix.
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If additional donations are received, half a cup of pasta or samp added, half a cup of split peas, half a cup of soya, spices and herbs added and a can of vegetables provided or substituted into the recipe.
Each jar can feed four people.
Lechki said the collected jars were donated in Edenvale, Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg, Florida, Eldorado Park Ext 3 and Riverlea.
She said they were distributed at hospice care centres, early childhood development centres, gender-based violence centres, substance abuse rehabilitation centres, feeding schemes, and welfare organisations.
Community members who directly benefited from the initiative were single parents, child-headed households and job seekers.
Lechki said although the meals were distributed, the project was never complete.
“It’s a continuous collection part of the food security drive. It was just highlighted more on Mandela Day because people had the free time to do acts of goodwill.”
Lechki said upcycling formed a large part of the food security.
“We encourage that the ingredients are placed in plastic food storage such as Tupperware containers, ice-cream tubs, butter tubs and so forth, instead of glass.
“This assists the communities we serve to use the containers to dish their meals into once cooked,” she said.
The ingredients are placed in zip lock bags and stored at ECD centres, homeless shelters, and substance abuse rehabilitation centres that have access to freezers. This is done to ensure freshness.
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Annamaria encouraged the community to gift and donate responsibly.
“Please don’t gift jars of hope to the homeless that don’t have the means to cook the meal. Rather provide them with a cooked meal.”
Rysky is running several continuous projects, such as hosting two monthly baby showers and feeding 800 community members daily.
Annamaria said on September 9 the NPO blessed 1 000 women as part of a Woman’s Month drive and to celebrate her birthday.
It has also started its Christmas collection drive and is collecting school shoes, school bags and lunch boxes for children in need.
To assist and learn more visit the NPO’s Facebook page.
