Five years into their noble project, the Dis-Chem Foundation is keeping true to its pledge to donate blankets to various charities and non-profit organizations ahead of the winter months.

This year 5 200 blankets have been collected and will be distributed to 33 organizations nominated by Dis-Chem’s Facebook followers and Dis-Chem Pharmacy staff. The charities range from old age homes to children’s homes and animal shelters.

“Every year that we have run this initiative, we get overwhelmed by the reaction of the communities we help. The sheer gratitude we receive is so pure, and it reminds us how important the Dis-Chem Foundation is,” says the Foundation’s Sherry Saltzman.

“Last year the Dis-Chem Foundation reached out to its network of Facebook followers and staff to nominate needy charities and organizations who would benefit from a blanket donation, and based on its success, we repeated the same process this year. Our own Dis-Chem customer community is vitally important to us as it is their purchases that are helping us to fund our initiatives, so it makes sense for them to have a say in the donation nominations,” Saltzman says.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is still very much with us, and with the winter months approaching, the risk of getting sick is higher. Everyone deserves to have as warm a winter as possible, which is why even the smallest contribution goes a long way,” concludes Saltzman.

* These blankets were donated to children’s homes, old age homes and animal shelters. The organizations that received blankets in Gauteng are Abraham Kriel Bambanani, Bethany house Krugersdorp, Castaway sanctuary Randfontein, Centurion haven of hope, Cheshire Homes, Cradle of Hope Krugersdorp, Grace Community Centre, Kids Haven Benoni, Kindness like Confetti, Megas in motion, Rainbows and smiles, Rivers of hope, SA Family Relief Project, Seva hands, The cat foundation, The Dogs Trust, The Go Purple Foundation(Vaal), The Grace Factory and Woodrock Animal Rescue.