It’s hard to believe that a little over a year ago, our lives were about to be affected so dramatically. None of us could have imagined what lay ahead –  being plunged headlong into global pandemic wasn’t something any of us could have envisioned.

Tragically, many lost loved ones, some are still fighting for their lives. Countless South Africans lost their jobs, businesses closed, and social distancing and the compulsory wearing of face masks became as commonplace as a walk in a park may once have been.

Our economy suffered devastating blows as industry after industry was affected by the pandemic, and it became a daily reality for hundreds of thousands of South Africans to no longer be able to feed their families.

School closures meant that many schoolchildren who were dependent on school feeding schemes for their main – sometimes only – meal of the day, were left without food. Shelters for the homeless, frail-care facilities and orphanages, all of which depend on public generosity, were suddenly without aid.

Soon after the crisis began, it became clear to us that we needed to urgently create a support system for the country’s most vulnerable, those who were completely dependent on meal donations for survival and had nothing else to fall back on.

On 8 April 2020 Pick n Pay launched what was then known as the Feed the Nation campaign to provide food and basic hygiene essentials to the most vulnerable during the lockdown period.

In the past year we have formed invaluable partnerships with Pick n Pay customers, suppliers and welfare organisations and provided more than 28 million meals since the beginning of lockdown.

Now a registered PBO, Feed the Nation Foundation has provided food to more than 4000 Child Headed Households, vulnerable people living in shelters, aged care facilities, orphanages, flood victims and under-served communities experiencing severe hardship, during what has become an ongoing crisis.

Our most heartfelt thanks to you, our partners and most loyal customers, for your contributions. No matter how big or small, every single contribution makes a significant difference to someone else’s life.

Our work is far from over – we will continue in our efforts to reach the most vulnerable in our communities across the length and breadth of South Africa.

We urge you join us on this most incredible journey to #FeedTheNation.

Suzanne Ackerman-Berman

Trustee of Feed the Nation Foundation