Update
GEORGE NEWS - Although the premises of the Garden Route Food Pantry in Glaze Street in George suffered tremendous damage in a fire early on Saturday afternoon, 7 August, it is still operating.
The Garden Route Food Pantry was established to serve all the B-municipalities in the area by sourcing and coordinating the distribution of essential food products to communities in need. It opened its doors in December last year.
The force behind its establishment is Carl van Blerk. He has been involved in community work through the Lions organisation in George for about 15 years and food security is a passion for him.
Van Blerk, who is the manager, said the cause of the fire is not known, but it is likely an electrical fault of some sort.
READ MORE: Top Lions award for Carl van Blerk
He thanked everybody who sent wonderful messages of support and encouragement. "The fire is pretty devastating for us. We are fortunate to say most of the food is okay. It is being assessed to see if it was damaged by the heat."
ALSO READ: Fire at Garden Route Food Pantry
They had to move out of the premises for a short time and will also be offline for a little while.
"That is the biggest tragedy, because it hampers the food pantry's ability to provide food to the community. "That is my biggest priority," he said.
Carl van Blerk, manager of the Garden Route Food Pantry, at the damaged property. Photo: Eugene Gunning
"Many have asked about the losses we suffered. We are grateful to Optima Security and the George Fire Department who were on site so quickly, to prevent a much greater tragedy. With the result, most of our losses were restricted to the offices and have been valued at approximately R80 000. We will be operating temporarily out of an alternative venue, right across from the current warehouse - until the site has been repaired and is fit for occupation again."
The damaged property.
He said the community's eagerness to help is heart-warming. He thanked the Acorn Foundation and Sue Smit who have already offered two laptops to replace the lost items. He also thanked Herman Pienaar of LoveGeorge News for offering two desks.
Van Blerk said nature has taught us that fire can create better and bigger opportunities for growth. "We encourage the community to get involved and become friends of the Garden Route Food Pantry."
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