{"id":64367,"date":"2014-07-24T10:20:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-24T08:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/64367\/helping-hand-lunchbox-project-applications-reopen-due-to-overwhelming-demand\/"},"modified":"2014-07-24T10:23:34","modified_gmt":"2014-07-24T08:23:34","slug":"helping-hand-lunchbox-project-applications-reopen-due-to-overwhelming-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2014\/07\/24\/helping-hand-lunchbox-project-applications-reopen-due-to-overwhelming-demand\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Hand Lunchbox Project applications reopen due to overwhelming demand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Solidarity Helping Hand has reopened applications for its Lunchbox Project, in response to numerous requests from nursery schools to be included in the scheme.<\/p>\n

Helping Hand will already feed more than 4 000 preschoolers from July until the end of the school year through this project.<\/p>

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“After the project kicked off at the beginning of the month, a large number of schools requested to be included,” said Michelle Burger, project organiser for Helping Hand.<\/p>\n

“The majority of nursery schools who are part of this project do not receive a state subsidy of any kind and have to feed the children out of their own, limited funds.<\/p>

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“In cases where schools do receive a state subsidy, it is not enough to enable them to provide proper nutrition to the children.”<\/p>\n

Burger said the period for applications has been extended to August 8, to give nursery schools the opportunity to join the project.<\/p>\n

“Schools are evaluated according to specific criteria and have to meet certain requirements, such as being registered with the Department of Social Development,” she added.<\/p>\n

Nursery schools that want to apply for inclusion in the Lunchbox Project can download the application form from Helping Hand’s website, at www.helpendehand.co.za.<\/p>\n

Helping Hand will, in the meantime, provide food and training at the nursery schools that have already been approved.<\/p>\n

Helping Hand provides non-perishable products to the schools, to ensure that the children get at least one cooked meal a day.<\/p>\n

“For many of the children this is their only meal for the day,” said Burger.<\/p>\n

Thanks to partners and food suppliers that use every rand optimally, Helping Hand can feed a pre-school child for R5 a day.<\/p>\n

“We originally estimated that we’d need about 320 000 meals in order to feed the toddlers up to the end of their school year.<\/p>\n

“It now seems that the number of meals will be a lot higher,” said Burger.<\/p>\n

“We appeal to the public to contribute to the project by sending the word ‘bord’ to 36930 at R5 per SMS, thereby sponsoring a meal for a hungry preschooler.<\/p>\n

“The more meals that are sponsored, the more tummies can be filled.”<\/p>\n

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