Retail chain steps up to help in crisis

In an effort to offer emergency relief in support of Covid-19, Woolworths has committed more than R34m to help build resilience in vulnerable communities.

Woolworths corporate affairs director Zinzi Mgolodela said the company would use its long-standing partnerships to help where needed as the outbreak evolves.

“One of our key focuses at this time is on our front-line employees, but also on supporting health-care workers and volunteers while boosting food security in vulnerable communities and improving access to education for the many, many children who cannot access digital education platforms,” she said.

The R34m will be allocated as follows:

• Clothing suppliers will produce more than R1.2m worth of reusable fabric masks;
• A donation of R500,000 to Gift of the Givers for personal protective equipment for health-care workers at mobile testing sites; and
• A contribution of R1m towards locally made masks that will be donated for use in community-relief interventions.

More than 1,000 charities nationally have access to food directly from Woolworths stores on an ongoing basis.

Woolworths has also made a R2m contribution to improving food security during the Covid-19 crisis.

“This will be in the form of food packs to those most in need and a donation of over 23 tons of porridge for emergency food relief to Gift of the Givers and Food ForwardSA.”

“Woolies has partnered with the Community Action Network (CAN) in the Western Cape, and with Gift of the Givers for Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, East London, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley, Nelspruit and Polokwane areas to ensure that in-store donations are effectively distributed to the most vulnerable,” Mgolodela said.