Use your phone’s location to help RNW and HKNW to pick up your Covid-19 food donations tonight

The smallest gift can bring the bright light of extended hope.

Patrollers of Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch (RNW) and Helderkloof Neighbourhood Watch (HKNW) will be collecting parcels of non-perishable essentials for families struggling with the effects of the current health crisis. Residents who wish help neighbours overcome the hardships brought on by the continuing pandemic can use their smartphones to send a safe digital beacon to roaming patrol vehicles.

Patrollers will be out collecting between 19:00 to 21:00 tonight, July 9, from anyone who signals their willingness to give. For those concerned about increased interactions creating opportunity for possible spread of the coronavirus, organisers have put in place a strict operating plan for the event. “We ask that everyone sanitise the package of donations before placing it outside their gate. The patrollers will then sanitise themselves before picking up the package and resanitising before distribution,” said Debbie Rothmann.

Willing donators are asked to send their live locations on the relevant whatsapp groups and patrollers will come by when pinged. Residents can monitor the patrollers whereabouts via the same app, timing the collection within a few minutes. “We are concerned about peoples dignity. We often get so caught up in out own stresses that we forgot the people in our neighbourhood who are also struggling,” said Debbie of her inspiration to initiate the food drive.

Ideal donations are coffee, tea, sugar, milk, soup, noodles, canned goods and any non-perishable foods that recipients can use to prepare meals. Residents can also contact Debbie to let her know about families who could benefit from the donations to ensure they are best distributed. Financial contributions are also accepted and details of that bank account and WhatsApp group number are available from Debbie on 082 450 6895 or her husband Bertus on 083 954 9723.