(Pretoria) – Rebosis Property Fund is calling on Centurion residents to rise against hunger by volunteering an hour of their time to assist with packing thousands of meals for impoverished local communities at Forest Hill City Shopping Centre on July 22.

GOOD NEWS: Forest Hill City Shopping Centre is calling the Centurion community to help pack 44,000 meals for impoverished residents as part of Stop Hunger Now SA’s “For Good” initiative on July 22. Here a team of volunteers celebrate their hard work at a previous packing event last year.

The property fund has committed R150 000 to the Stop Hunger Now SA project, with its flagship mall in Gauteng aiming to package more than 44,000 nutritious meals to mark Nelson Mandela Day.

According to the results of the General Household Survey released by Statistics South Africa in May this year, 22.3% of South African households have inadequate or severely inadequate access to food.

To address this, Stop Hunger Now SA provides food parcels that include rice, soya, dehydrated vegetables and an essential vitamin and mineral supplement, in compliance with the Unicef standard for combating malnutrition. Each parcel can feed up to six people.

Forest Hill City marketing manager Annah Moremela said the meal packs would be distributed to beneficiaries in the Mooiplaas community and surrounding areas via local feeding programmes, with 10% being allocated to Stop Hunger Now’s chosen charity.

The Centurion event forms part of the non-governmental organisation’s national “For Good” campaign, taking place in seven cities across South Africa, which has a total target of three million meals.

Moremela encouraged the community to spend their symbolic 67 minutes doing good for Mandela Day by joining one of the twenty teams of 13 volunteers needed to assist with the packing event.

“Volunteers can show their support by making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate in a very hands-on and tangible way. That one hour will provide a sustainable food source for many families in need throughout the year.”

Last year, local community organisations and individual volunteers packed 10,000 meals for Human Rights Day.

Moremela said five shifts would be held throughout the day to help meet the revised overall target and that everyone from community organisations to schools, churches, families and individuals were welcome to lend a hand.

“High school learners can also earn their community service hours while having fun and meeting new people at the event.”

The packing event will take place from 9am to 6.30pm in The Hub court.

To register, go to the centre management offices or visit www.foresthillcity.co.za and click on the events tab. Follow the mall on Facebook for more information.