Noordwyk Parkrun gives hope through winter food donations
The parkrun members took it upon themselves to bring a winter filled with warmth once again this year with food donations to Christ Church.
The Noordwyk Parkrun community came together throughout June to mark the Winter Solstice with a non-perishable food collection drive to help fill up the pantry shelves of Christ Church and support families in need.
The final collection took place over four weeks, allowing participants, volunteers and community members to contribute.
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The donated food was officially handed over to the church on June 29. Items collected during the drive included canned soup, baked beans, tuna, corned meat and dry goods such as mealie meal, rice and sugar.
The initiative was first introduced last year with the aim of supporting those facing food insecurity during the cold months of the year.
Noordwyk Parkrun volunteer Patricia Nementzik said the recent cold weather highlighted the importance of helping vulnerable members of the community.
“Gauteng has experienced some bitterly cold weather in the past few weeks, which can only make one feel for the people who are not only hungry but also feeling the effects of the elements,” said Nementzik.
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The final collection day took place on June 27 during the 210th Noordwyk Parkrun. Despite the chilly conditions, 263 participants ran, jogged and walked the course, including 47 first-time participants. Many arrived with food donations before taking part in the weekly event.
Christ Church Reverend David Kobedi thanked core volunteers Nementzik and Lynne Maclean for coordinating the drive and expressed his appreciation to everyone who contributed.
“The donation is gratefully received as we have so many people in need, and our pantry was running very low,” said Kobedi.
He added that the donations would help feed more than 100 families during July and praised the unity shown by the Noordwyk Parkrun community.
The Noordwyk Parkrun team also thanked everyone who contributed to the initiative, saying the generosity shown by participants and residents once again demonstrated the community’s willingness to support those in need.
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