GEORGE NEWS - The community-based non-profit organisation called the Blanco Community Forum is doing its share to help the hungry in their community in these challenging times. "During the week starting 6 April, we started to collect foodstuff," says Bishop Donald Harker. "Out of this we would be able to make food hampers for the most needy in the Blanco community."
Harker, along with Councillor Jean Safers and Deirdre Fernandez, represent the forum on the Covid-19 support team.
Harker says that they themselves had nothing to donate and soon realised that the initiative would entail a lot of effort. "We noticed some shortcomings in the community regarding other efforts that were already operating in the area. Blanco is often the afterthought, lagging behind. We opted to work separately from the municipality. We wanted to avoid chaos and unfair distribution of food."
He stresses that the initiative is completely private and non-aligned.
They approached the private sector, talking to people like farmers and others who would be able to contribute from their own means. "We also contracted the main churches in Blanco to receive the hampers from us and to manage the distribution thereof."
Harker says they were pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the people. So far they have been helped by 17 people from Fancourt, ably coordinated, encouraged and supervised by Sal Marsilio. Local traders also came to the party.
Role players in the feeding initiative, from left: Councillor Jean Safers, Deirdre Fernandez, Bishop Donald Harker.and Astrid Fortuin.
"A very big thank you to all who made generous contributions. In particular, we would like to thank Johan Marais for facilitating a donation of 800 pockets of potatoes from two Christiana potato farmers, the brothers Stanley and Conrad de Beer. In the same vein we thank Rhod Simpson of RAW Transport who made this possible.
"Apart from the potatoes, which was widely distributed in the area, we have since 17 April managed to hand out more than 200 food parcels to the churches for distribution. We have good reason to be immensely grateful."
Some 800 bags of potatoes were donated by two farming brothers.
Blanco Community Forum was established in 2016. Different churches and community organisations are involved. People who would like to help can call Harker on 063 271 5831.
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