Caring in the time of Corona

NIA MAGOULIANITI-MCGREGOR

SA Harvest: Alan Browde and Gidon Novick

SA Harvest, a food-rescue organisation, run by Alan Browde and Gidon Novick, is planning to deliver about 100 000 meals a week to the vulnerable during lockdown. “This is a national emergency,” Browde says.

Browde, who sold a marketing services company two years ago, launched SA Harvest in Cape Town in 2019. He introduced it to Johannesburg just a few weeks ago. Based on a concept started by his childhood friend, Ronni Kahn, in Australia in 2004, the organisation’s philosophy is to “rescue pre-expired quality food that would have gone to a landfill, and deliver it to people in need”.

Since its launch, more than 50 000 meals have been rescued.

Even with these processes in place, the few hours before lockdown last week were a “hurried scramble” to rescue five tons of food from airline catering companies, restaurants, bakeries, and delis who were about to close their doors and kitchens at midnight.

What’s unique to SA Harvest is that food is collected in refrigerated trucks – “we don’t break the cold chain” – which means perishables such as protein-rich fish or yoghurt can form part of the meals. But with lockdown, says Browde, the organisation has had to change its model. “With restaurants and bakeries closed, we are on a huge emergency funding drive to buy food.”

Meals are distributed to key beneficiaries including the Service Dining Room in Cape Town and the Afrika Tikkun Phuthaditjhaba Centre in Alexandra, Johannesburg.

“Thirteen million South Africans experience hunger every day, while 10 million tons of food goes to waste every year. Though the juxtaposition of those two figures is mind boggling already, hunger is expected to worsen over the lockdown period,” Browde says.

Browde says the organisation works strictly on donations.

“While sitting in lockdown in a big house, many people have realised how hard it must be for those who are food vulnerable. Watching people and corporates give love to their fellow human beings has been incredibly uplifting.”

Contact: Chief Executive Alan Browde on 082 651 1313 or Chairperson Gidon Novick on 083 631 5397.

The Lockdown Collection: Lauren Woolf, Kim Berman, and Carl Bates

When the country went into lockdown, Lauren Woolf, the founder of Mrs Woolf, a strategic marketing consultancy, along with Kim Berman, the executive director of Artist Proof Studio, a community-based printmaking centre in Joburg, and Carl Bates, a global entrepreneur, became concerned about the prospect of artists losing their livelihoods.

“Artists are a national treasure,” says Woolf. “They are the record keepers, beauty creators, thought provokers, empathetic visionaries, political disruptors, and human inspirers.”

They came up with a creative concept to make a difference. Called The Lockdown Collection, they envisaged a series of 21 artworks to commemorate and record these extraordinary times to raise money for vulnerable artists. Its theme: 21 days, 21 artists, 21 impacts.

“Every day of lockdown on social media, we upload a different work from a South African artist that reflects their thoughts, feelings, or observations of their lockdown experience.”

These are available to be sold or reserved on any day. “It’s not exactly an auction, but an online sale.” Participating artists include Penny Siopis and Diane Victor.

All artworks are underwritten by an individual or corporate funder to the value of R25 000, and are open for bidding by other art lovers. “So far, we have raised R300 000,” she says. “We went to businesses and individuals who we knew appreciate art, and we’ve been blown away by their generosity.”

All proceeds will go to the president’s Solidarity Fund which helps vulnerable people in South Africa (25%), a Vulnerable Visual Artist Fund (60%), as well as to the participating artist (15%).

“One of our offerings is from sculptor Thabiso Mohlakoana who has always been drawn to the plight of the illegally traded pangolin – a possible source of the coronavirus outbreak.” The piece, a pangolin bowl, will be fired, painted, and completed when the lockdown is over.

Contact: Lauren Woolf 082 782 3419

FeedSA: Romi Levenstein and Genevieve Solomons

As soon as the COVID-19 crisis hit the country, Romi Levenstein and Genevieve Solomons had a solemn conversation. “We knew we had to start preparing for it.”

Childhood friends, Levenstein and Solomons have been running non-profit organisation FeedSA, which feeds about 6 500 people a day, for six years. They set up creches and feeding schemes. Beneficiaries include community centres, homes for the mentally and physically challenged, a hospice, and elderly citizens.

As the country went into lockdown, Levenstein and Solomons launched a dedicated campaign called Kunye (which means “together” in Xhosa) – the COVID-19 action plan to raise funds as an extension of FeedSA. Joining them was a third friend, Roxy Priebatsch.

They have raised R600 000 in 10 days.

Included in the support they offer Alexandra residents is a health-rescue kit. “For R480, we can help a family of four for two weeks with soap, canned food, personal sanitary items, and cleaning materials,” Levenstein says.

“These are people who could not afford to stockpile, and who live in overcrowded conditions. We believe it will prolong periods of self-isolation while also helping them financially.”

“We have distributed packs to more than 500 households already and the next 1 000 are in the process of being ordered for packing and delivery.”

Contact: Romi Levenstein 072 378 2554

CoronaCare: Daniel Harrisberg, Kaeli Epstein, Olivia Krok, Kim Harrisberg, Matthew Garrun, Kim Garrun, Robyn Garrun, and Kaylee Kantor.

Within a week of Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa’s first speech to the nation about the corona crisis on 15 March, Daniel Harrisberg and a few concerned friends had established a nationwide initiative with more than 10 strategic partners. It has raised more than R200 000 to help needy communities across the country.

“With so many people living in informal settlements and the high rates of pre-existing medical conditions such as HIV and TB, we realised the country is highly vulnerable to this epidemic. We asked ourselves, ‘What difference can we make?’”

When the group first launched CoronaCare, it was about raising funds and collecting physical donations. “Our strategy has changed to a more collaborative platform connecting with concerned citizens and corporates who might want to share their time, assets, and resources.”

“We’re trying to find the sweet spot,” says Harrisberg, “the charities and grassroots organisations who have fallen through the cracks and don’t receive help from big charities, yet we are still able to vet accurately.

“For example, if early childhood development centres aren’t registered with the department of social development, they don’t receive funding. Also, recyclers aren’t considered an essential service so need assistance. We discovered a group of about 350 collectors who are homeless and squatting.

“Also, now that the schools are closed, where will all these children learn? They don’t have iPads, books, or crayons at home.” CoronaCare has collaborated with partner LivCurious to donate 100 boxes of educational materials and cleaning products to the families of those who attend the Masibulele Educare Centre in Khayelitsha.

Contact: Daniel Harrisberg 072 378 7396