Family fighting hunger with caring hearts
What began as a simple act of kindness by a local family has grown into a weekly outreach to help those in need, but now they need the community’s support to keep it going.
Anastasia Venter and her family are doing their part to make the community better by handing out food to those in need.
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Anastasia says they are trying to do as much as they can, and currently, they are feeding people once a week, usually on Sundays. She noted the people they help are mostly people who are hungry, homeless and people who haven’t eaten in days.
Her inspiration for reaching out is her two daughters, one is her right hand and the other is her left.
“Teaching my children about the little things in life that matter is important. No one is better than another, and money or status does not give you a better title than someone who has nothing.
Colour, taste or race does not make a difference to a person that God created. It is wonderful to see the gratitude from people who are truly in need and get a meal,” Anastasia explained.
She noted it can be heartbreaking at times, but it is a great feeling to make a difference in someone’s life, even if it is something small.
“I believe if you can make a difference in someone else’s life, it’s a good day, and I like good days,” she added.
They started their outreach in April, after they had too much food left over at home and decided instead of throwing it out, they would rather give it to those who don’t have. After their first outreach, Anastasia explained she just felt she couldn’t stop.
It’s very emotional to see how people are struggling. Some of them rely on that one meal we give them to keep them for a day or even three.
“You then realise that you have so much to be grateful for, because others have nothing. The number of people we help just keeps getting bigger.”
Their aim for these outreaches, Anastasia explained, is not to gain status, but to make a difference.
“To be there for others. To not judge people based on their current position and circumstances, but to respond out of care and love and of course to grow in what we do. To make the community aware that there are people who are struggling and to stand together.”
Next, they hope to grow and get involved with organisations that help others in need. They hope to feed more people and create opportunities for them. In the future, they also want to get a building where they can hand out meals. She added that this would have been easy if they had an abundance of finances, but all the funds came from their pockets.
They are asking the community for help to make this outreach a regular occurrence. They are also currently working on getting their non-profit company registration under the name Blessed to Bless Rainbow Foundation.
Any donation that can contribute to this project will be truly appreciated. Any food you can think of that can make a meal, nothing will be too small,” she said.
At the moment, they use porridge, rice, meat, vegetables, soup, canned food and bread to make a decent and nutritious meal. However, it is getting cold and people are asking for winter clothes and blankets, especially those living on the street. People are also asking for food parcels, but alone, she can only do so much.
“On my own, it’s getting financially difficult to keep up. I need help from the community or from whoever can find it in their heart to help, and as I say, anything is welcome; every little bit helps, believe me. If anyone would like to help or contribute, they are welcome to contact me. I would truly appreciate it. We are blessed to bless others,” Anastasia concluded.
Any person who would like to contribute can contact Anastasia on 079 775 1717.
