Hunger is a daily reality for many Mission people – in both rural and city communities

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic brought the South African economy to its knees, many adults and children in our Archdiocese knew what it was like to go without food for days at a time.

We see the face of Jesus Christ in every hungry person. Through our soup kitchens and food parcels for desperate families, child only households and the aged, we provide relief from hunger in His name.

Child only households

Children orphaned by AIDS are most at risk of the lasting damage caused by chronic hunger. Siblings struggle along together, with the older children missing school to beg for food from equally poor neighbours. Others have been taken in by merciful ‘Gogos’ (grandmothers). One old lady has a ‘family’ of ten, with only her pitiful state pension to feed them all.

These children barely survive.

But there is hope. On the Missions, priests and their parishioners share what little they have to ensure that starving children have something to eat. We try to give them each a plate of vegetable stew with rice, cooked in huge pots by women in community. Or sometimes, just a sandwich with peanut butter. But at least it’s something to still the pangs of hunger.

If your heart is touched by the plight of small children who don’t get enough to eat, please click the button below to help us buy more life saving vegetables, rice and even a little meat so that we never have to turn away a hungry child.

Covid-19 Crisis

With our country still at Alert Level 3 Lockdown and infections soaring, many South Africans are on the verge of starvation. Those who used to earn a few rands selling fruit and vegetables at the taxi rank – or working as domestic servants and gardeners – have been left with nothing.

They rely on food parcels for survival – but the government is unable to keep up with the huge need.

An ecumenical coalition of Churches under the auspices of the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council is working together with NGOs and NPOs, including City Hope, Domino Foundation, Nation Changers, SA Red Cross and Zoe Life, to ensure help gets to those in desperate need.

And we need help to make sure there are enough food parcels to go round.

Please consider making a donation online now. Your gift will sponsor a food parcel or food voucher for a desperate family.

Imagine how it will feel to receive this loving gift from someone they don’t even know? I know you will be blessed with their heartfelt gratitude.

Each Food Voucher is worth R410 … about €/£20 or US$25 … and feeds a family of four for a week. But because the need is so great – and there are no signs of the lockdown ending any time soon – we hope you may be able to donate more than one voucher.

And when you do, please also remember to fill in your special intentions to be remembered at our Masses for Mission Friends.

Distance may prevent us from being neighbours in community or country – but we can still be neighbours in the spirit of Jesus Christ. May God bless you

Our Archdiocese is proud to be part of the churches’ response to the Covid-19 food crisis.

Soup kitchens often operate at local schools, using ingredients donated by the Church and local community.

Soup kitchen at the Denis Hurley Centre, serving the City’s homeless, destitute and refugees.