As unemployment rises and families struggle to afford basic necessities, Memory Grace Pieterse and her team of volunteers are providing a lifeline to residents between Pumula and Umtentweni through the Bendigo Food Drive.

Memory started feeding families during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the initiative has grown into a weekly operation providing about 194 meals.

Her team prepares approximately 112 meals from Sunwich Port, while volunteer cook Sharon Riekert prepares another 82 meals from her home in Umtentweni.

Volunteer Alida Lucas prepares and vacuum-packs the vegetables a day in advance, while Sandra Hammond collects second-hand clothes and distributes them to people in need.

The mammoth task of cooking these meals begins every Thursday at 08:00 and is completed by 14:00.

The volunteers work tirelessly, using a 60-litre pot and smaller pots to prepare the wholesome meals.

The initiative is supported by a strong community network. Some residents who collect meals after 14:00 also collect for their neighbours or deliver meals on their way home to those unable to collect them.

“We don’t help homeless people, but people who are either ill, pensioners or those who have lost their jobs and are now struggling to make ends meet,” said Memory.

She explained that many recipients can afford to pay their rent but struggle to put food on the table. Over the years, she has come to know each person she feeds, and every recipient has a different story.

“There has been an increase in people in need, with people losing their jobs or battling to find work,” she added.

According to Statistics South Africa’s second-quarter 2026 Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the country’s unemployment rate rose to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, with 345 000 more people joining the ranks of the unemployed as employment continued to decline.

Memory relies on donations to keep the initiative running. Much of the support comes through the South Coast Charity Auction (SCCCA), a WhatsApp group where second-hand goods are sold.

A percentage of the sales goes towards buying food supplies and covering essential expenses, including paraffin, gas, electricity, medicine and petrol for people in need.

Her long-term hope is to secure enough food donations to provide food parcels, allowing families to prepare meals in their own homes.

How to help? Anyone who can assist with food donations or a 50-litre pot, or who would like to join the South Coast Charity Auction WhatsApp group, is encouraged to contact Memory on 072-761-1736.

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