Delivering food during Covid times

Cross Connect Community Outreach (CCCO) is a charitable organisation which helps about 3 000 people in need every day.

The need for outside help has increased manyfold since the Covid-19 pandemic struck South Africa, and CCCO had to adapt fast.

Here are some rules they have implemented to still feed the families in their care, even when some of them are isolating:

• CCCO staff collect the necessary funds and buy basic foodstuffs in bulk once or twice a month.
• The bulk packs are taken to their offices in Silverfields where the contents is packed into smaller packages for each family.
• Best-before information is written on the packets as per health standards.
• Staff sanitize their hands before every step of the process.
• Surfaces are sanitized before and after packing.
• Packages are sealed tightly and stored in the storeroom.
• When the time for delivery comes, staff load the food packets into cars and take them to homes in town and surrounding townships.
• Food packets are left at the recipients’ door or gate, and staff stand back.
• Where they used to go into homes to check up on everyone and pray with them, they now have to stay outside, but many families still want to pray with them. So, prayers are done at a distance.
• The recipients usually wipe down the packets again when they’ve taken them inside.
• Masks are worn inside and outside of the offices, as well as when meeting with the families.
• Instead of the families signing that they’ve received the packets, CCCO staff take photos.
• Families that fall into different groups receive food at different times. In general, CCCO delivers food packets every two or three weeks, as they have so many people to care for.
• Families/ persons in isolation cannot go to shops themselves and depend on organisations such as CCCO to have food delivered to their door.
• CCCO can’t have families pick up food packets at the office as it would increase the risk of infection.
• The office is also sanitized twice a day, and surfaces are wiped after they’ve had a visitor.
• Counselling is still done, with counsellors entering homes when necessary, but taking every precaution.
• CCCO is equally cautious with families whether in isolation or not, as one can never be too careful.

Kyle Tolman, CCCO founder explained that the extra cost of the required sanitization has greatly increased their operating costs, and explained that food prices have also increased considerably over the past six months.

Contact CCCO on 010 100 0075 or 079 491 4404.