Orphan Fund extends a huge thank you for community’s generous donations

We are living in strange and interesting times and have to get used to the new normal.

The North Coast Courier Orphan Fund committee did not meet in April because we were locked down.

A few regular allocations were made but for the most part the Fund operated extensively and daily in relief work.

The committee met in July to make the fund’s quarterly allocations.

The enormous effort put into creating the unprecedented feeding scheme on the North Coast over the past four months began with an Orphan Fund call for soup to feed the orphans, the widows and the generally hungry.

Our community responded with great generosity in the form of an outpouring of nutritious frozen homemade soups.

The idea of actively doing something to help captured the imagination of so many cooks and the commitment to it spread faster than Covid, at that stage.

To begin with it was disconcerting how fast the project gained momentum, but God is good, and had prepared the Orphan Fund with a whole network of contacts in the poorer communities to facilitate the soups reaching the hungry.

The Brettenwood “Soup-a Heroes” as are named the super-cooks, sourced a large empty freezer at Woody’s Café (unable to operate during lockdown) to accommodate soup overnight.

It was sent out every day at that stage.

The Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (Docrra) organises the collection at convenient points and Jane Armstrong of our Orphan Fund coordinates the delivery to the places in need.

This is certainly a community project.

Over the four months we have collected and delivered over 16 000 litres of soup.

The Soup Hub moved to All Souls Anglican church when Woody’s was allowed to open.

Frozen soup is now received there every weekday between 1 and 1.45pm.

There is also a collection point outside Sportsman’s Warehouse at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre on Tuesdays and Fridays between 12.30 and 12.50pm.

The excitement and interest generated over the soup project has had a ripple effect into financial contributions to the Orphan Fund specifically targeted to Covid relief.

About R288 000 has in the past four months been donated to the Orphan Fund account, specifically directed at Covid relief.

So, this quarter has been even more busy, sourcing food parcels from Lali Foods or Economy Supply, as well as making up food parcels from the dry foods donated and making sure they reach the right people.

To avoid duplication (some people receiving double help and others none at all) the local relief organisations and churches have tried to work together requiring details of recipients, such as names, addresses and number of people in the household.

It also became known that mothers and young babies or toddlers were particularly vulnerable and to this end over R28 000 has been donated to the Fund specifically for baby milk.

Support has come from every direction, including very generous overseas donations, and the Orphan Fund extends a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed or is contributing in any way.

We like to thank personally but, in many cases, we do not have contact details.

The Orphan Fund is audited and registered as a non-profit organisation and has also been approved by the Receiver of Revenue for tax exemption.

This means that donors can receive a tax deduction on donations made.

The North Coast Courier Orphan Fund bank details: ABSA branch: 630229, Acct No: 9109572488.
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Frozen Soup and dry goods collection times: All Souls church (Sheffield) every weekday between 1 and 1.45pm.

There is also a collection point outside Sportsman’s Warehouse, Ballito Lifestyle Centre, on Tuesdays and Fridays between 12.30 and 12.50.

Dry goods to donate include maize meal, Morvite, rice, beans, samp, soup mix, soya mince and sugar.

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