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21 July 2008

On the occasion of the Budget Speech of the Department of Social Development on 21 April 2008, MEC Ouma Tsopo undertook to unleash a wider range of mechanisms to wage the war against poverty as a measure to restore the dignity of the poorest citizens of the Free State. True to this commitment, the MEC in her capacity as the Chair of the Social and Human Development Cluster is leading a wider frontier of partners (government and the private sector) to wage a war against poverty through a concept known as the food banks, targeted at benefiting orphaned and vulnerable children and the elderly in particular, as well as individuals not receiving any government support.

Food bank is one of the emergency food programmes that provide immediate hunger relief to individuals and families who are unable to afford food and receive inadequate government financial assistance from programmes such as Social Grants and Social Relief Programmes.

The agencies receiving food from food banks are typically non-profit organisations operated as part of a church, government or community group, and commonly called a "food pantry". A food bank is like the wholesale arm of the food distribution system for those living in poverty, while food pantries are the retail arm that serves people directly with the emergency food. Some food pantries serve only a few families each month, but there are many that provide emergency food support to hundreds of families each month. The need for food bank and food pantry services has been growing in recent years as income has not kept up with rising costs and government programme funding is not always tied to inflation.

Food banks receive their food from companies or supermarkets with un-saleable stock, and also from donations from the business sector. Food banks distribute goods such as canned and boxed dry groceries, fresh produce, frozen foods, bakery products, and some personal hygiene or household cleaning products.

The food bank, however, must not be a once-off activity and sustainability of the project is important. The project must be sustained by ensuring that the local people have access to the food bank even after its launch. This sustainability and future access to the food bank is the basis of the second phase.

The second phase will be a responsibility of the local stakeholders under the co-ordination and leadership of both the provincial and the district offices of the Department of Social Development. A central sponsorship committee based in the Department of Social Development will link and advocate for the donations from other government departments and the business sector for the food banks on behalf of the municipalities and towns where the introduction and launched of the project has already taken place.

Linked to the implementation of the food banks, will be the acceleration of the programme to facilitate access to social grants, identity documents, birth certificates, and a range of social welfare and development services which is affectionately known as the Social and Human Development Cluster Outreach Programme. In the period starting in May of 2008 this programme has registered a phenomenal success in getting services to the people of the Free State. The enabling of the Free Staters to access identity documents and birth certificates has resulted in many Free Staters being able to apply for social grants such as (foster care grants, child support grants, disability grants, care dependency grants, old age pension and a range of social welfare services) at the same time many of our people were given food through the social relief of distress which has given testimony to the commitment of this government to tackle poverty head-on.

In order to ensure that this access is broadened to all the citizens of the Free State, the MEC: Social Development, Mrs Ouma Tsopo in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Social and Human Development Cluster is embarking on the programme as outlined below for the period of Monday, 21 to Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Date: 21 July 2008

Food bank launch and access to government services
Time: 10h00
Venue: Bultfontein Town Hall

Social and Human Development Cluster Outreach Programme
Time: 13h00
Venue: Hoopstad

Date: 22 July 2008

Food bank launch and access to government services
Time: 10h00
Venue: Tweeling

Social and Human Development Cluster Outreach Programme
Time: 13h00
Venue: Frankfort

Date: 23 July 2008

Food bank launch and access to government services
Time: 10h00
Venue: Arlington

Social and Human Development Cluster Outreach Programme
Time: 13h00
Venue: Lindley

For further details please contact:
Mr Mondli Mvambi
Tel: 051 400 0209
Fax: 051 400 0262
Cell: 083 265 2612
E-mail: mondli@socdev.fs.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Social Development, Free State Provincial Government
21 July 2008