George Municipality held its annual thank you lunch for the Soup Kitchen volunteers that run 136 nutritional centres across George, Touwsranten and Uniondale areas.
The volunteers were treated to a lunch with pudding and drinks for all their hard work during the year. They also received a present in the form of toiletries or a blanket. The event took place in the Lawaaikamp Community Hall.
According to Cllr Sean Snyman, Portfolio Councillor for Community Development and Social Services, the Municipality currently supplies 136 nutritional centres in the municipal jurisdiction with dry ingredients to provide at least three nutritious meals to approximately 100 hungry children, people on chronic medications and frail elders three times a week. This equates to 129 000 meals provided on a monthly basis to hungry mouths.
George Council is aware of the dire need in the communities and started the project to bring some relief to those people in the community who cannot fend for themselves. Chronic sick people are referred by the clinics to the nearest soup kitchen in their area. Snyman said though this project is not the mandate of the Municipality, “we as the council need to do something to bring some relief to our citizens. From next year we will however get the Department of Social Development to contribute to the project and in so doing to improve on it. “
According to Ms Yuleen Campher, Coordinator, the soup kitchens are run at home by volunteers for which they receive no compensation for the service provided. The soup kitchens are spread all over the municipal and rural areas. If you are unsure of where your closest soup kitchen is situated, you can visit the George Municipal office on the corner of St. John’s and Varing Lane. Prior to a soup kitchen being opened, an investigation must take place to ensure that the applicant adheres to the conditions stipulated in the municipal policy and weekly monitoring is done at all of the soup kitchens.
You can apply to run a soup kitchen at the Social Service offices, on the corner of St John’s and Varing Lane. Yuleen Campher and Veronique Ferndale are responsible for the Soup kitchen Project and any valid complaints about any of the soup kitchens, can be reported to them on 044 802 2000.