Anti-Freeze needs support to continue with its service
Over the past year the organisation has distributed 9 600 food parcels through its feeding scheme and 5 400 food parcels at different schools
LOCAL non-profit organisation (NPO) Operation Anti-Freeze is requesting both the public and the corporate sector to open their hearts and help fight the plight of poverty in the community.
Project coordinator Hilary Tolmay said Operation Anti-Freeze was an inner-city upliftment project which began in October 2000. The organisation reaches out to the underprivileged in Ekurhuleni.
Over the past year the organisation has distributed 9 600 food parcels through its feeding scheme and 5 400 food parcels at different schools.
“We are committed to being socially relevant by being involved in uplifting the Ekurhuleni community, schools and children’s homes that find themselves in the desperate situation of being unable to provide for, and take care of the huge needs of children in their care and of the growing number of destitute people.
“Our upliftment programme is aimed at providing food, clothing, blankets and specialised equipment to destitute people, schools and homes who are faced with the emotional and physical challenges of being destitute and in dire need of assistance,” explained Tolmay.
“For Operation Anti-Freeze to sustain and increase its support to the huge number of destitute people, schools and homes in Ekurhuleni, we request both the public and corporate sector to open their hearts and help us. To meet this huge demand we need donations of food, clothing, stationery, blankets or monetary donations to purchase the necessary items and for the day-to-day running expenses of keeping Operation Anti-Freeze going,” she explained.
“Tax deductable 18A donation receipts can be issued for all donations,” she added.
The organisation, based in Pomona, runs a feeding scheme once a month in the same area, where about 700 people are fed and given a food parcel to take home.
“At the June feeding scheme we handed out a blanket to each person to help them keep warm during winter.”
To help the destitute enjoy the festive season, the organisation also hosts a Christmas party at its December feeding scheme, where Santa hands out a Christmas present to each child and Christmas hampers, made up of a box filled with non-perishable food items.
“We also run school projects where we support 10 schools and one créche by providing 500 food parcels monthly to groups of children within these schools who have been identified by the teachers as coming from very poor households. For some of those children the meal they get at school is the only meal they will have for the day.
“Many of these children do not eat from the Friday when they leave school until the Monday when they return. A hungry child cannot concentrate or study and is thus unable to reach his full potential.”
Over and above feeding the children, throughout the year clothing is being collected and distributed to schools, informal settlements and other beneficiaries.
Le Roux Motors recently donated a bakkie to the organisation to assist them in their cause.
For more details, call Tolmay on 072-959-7242 or 011-979-5003, or email antifreeze@mweb.co.za.
