Employees choose to give to the most vulnerable
Employees from the Halls Fresh Produce group worldwide were invited to take part in setting up a fund to relieve the pressure on communities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
MBOMBELA – Each of the business’s offices worldwide has been tasked with identifying initiatives in its areas for which these funds will be used. For the Mataffin-based office, R50 000 of the initial funds raised have been earmarked for assistance in the Lowveld.
“While looking at the events in the news, we are seeing many people struggling with food aid and with basic water and shelter needs, hospitals struggling to obtain medical supplies and overworked staff,” said Tracey Davis, CEO of Halls.
“The Halls executive team wanted to do our part in creating a fund that would assist our people, our partners and our communities who find themselves in extreme hardship as a result of the current crisis.
We are grateful to be working, to have a courageous team around us, to have food and shelter and we are deeply empathetic to those who have been greatly impacted by this pandemic.”
The fund, HFP Staying Apart. Supporting Together, was started with contributions from the Halls executive team. Employees can contribute anonymously and it is voluntary.
The company has matched the contributions made by employees. Those who are not able to make financial contributions have been encouraged to get involved in the packing and distribution of parcels.
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“We understand that all our employees have their own set of circumstances and as such will have different means of contributing, so it is important to note that this is not an obligatory process,” Davis said.
She said the fund will initially run for three months until June, after which they will assess whether there is still a need for the fund after that.
“It will not be used to contribute to programmes that are already well-funded. We will also not contribute to programmes that are not well-governed, nor to non-essential activities.
“This is not a fund to win any popularity contest and the funds will definitely not be used for Halls’s gain. We hope that in this small way we are able to support the most vulnerable.
We thank our Halls employees across the globe for contributing,” Davis concluded.
An amount of R50 000 from the fund has been allocated this week to the joint venture between The Covid Flight, Halls, Buscor, Spar and Lowvelder.
“This is the first payment we are making to the venture,” said Leigh Green, marketing manager of Halls. With these funds and maize meal donated by Spar, we are going to be able to help far more people than I ever thought possible,” Green said.
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