A box of Easter Eggs or a bottle of cooking oil and 5k maize meal?

Even though Easter is over, shops are still full of chocolate treats marked down to more affordable prices. The fact that they’re still sitting on the shelves is testament to how hard it is for so many families to make ends meet.

Relentless food price increases are making it harder and harder for them to put food on the table. Any food.

Forget chocolate eggs and roast meat – these people dream of having a full bag of rice, beans or maize meal in the cupboard … a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter for the children to spread … some tea, milk and sugar. A can or two of pilchards and the luxury of some chicken pieces to cook for dinner.

As we celebrate the joy of Christ’s resurrection, we are reminded that we too have the opportunity to rise to the challenge of becoming new and better people. And that means caring about others and doing what we can to help.

Pope Francis reminds us that we are, “the temporary stewards of our goods: everything we possess is a gift from God and we must allow ourselves to be enlightened by Him in the management of the goods we receive. His spirit, the source of generosity, will always urge us to give to those in need, to fight poverty with what He gives us. For the Lord gives us in abundance so that we in turn can give ourselves.”

Please support us as we strive to collect and distribute food to the poor and needy. Alone, we can only do so much. With help from you, and others like you, we can make sure that no one has to go to bed hungry.

Through all of us, our Lord’s bounty can touch every South African in need, with the joy and comfort of knowing that others care.