There were smiles, laughter, singing and joy all around as Hearts in Hands and its partners spent the day blessing the mkhulus and gogos of Embo this Thursday, reminding them that they are always cherished.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (04 October 2026) – Beautiful things happen when we honour those who paved the way before us. On Thursday, Hearts in Hands Food Bank NPO joined forces with the Twinkle Star Foundation at Ebeh Hall to bring food and a little extra joy to the Gogos, and Mkhulus served each week by the Foundation’s soup kitchen.
Through its Cans of Care drive, Hearts in Hands delivered hundreds of kilograms of food in hampers to elderly residents in the Embo community – a gesture welcomed with heartfelt gratitude.
“Some days remind you that the real gift of giving is not always what you arrive with, but what you leave with,” shared Tracy and Kim of Hearts in Hands, reflecting on the initiative’s personal impact on them.
“And somewhere between the hampers, the hugs, the laughter, the singing and the dancing, something rather beautiful happened. There was happiness. There was so much love.”
Young Callan, a Hearts in Hands student volunteer, added another special touch by arriving with Jars of Hope that he had made and packaged himself for the drive. His contribution warmed hearts and showed that no one is too young to make a difference.
The hampers reached their recipients thanks to teams from Khwezi Skills Development and Halfway Ford Waterfall. Together, they packed and donated more than 200 kg of hampers. The Halfway Ford Waterfall team also prepared an additional 50 hampers as part of the Ford Global Food Drive.
By Thursday evening, hearts were warmed, and kitchen cupboards were fuller thanks to people determined to ensure that their elders felt valued, supported and cared for.
The Hearts in Hands team said that the gratitude received was deeply humbling, not just for the food, but for the time spent together.
“For being there. For sitting, chatting, laughing and sharing a little piece of the day with one another. And judging by the smiles, the dancing and the love we shared today, I think we received every bit as much as we gave.”
Next-Gen Nature Stewards Are Taking Care of the Mosselbank River!
Social Media Used for Good as Fourways Community Speaks Up!Special thanks go to every person who donated a can, hamper or jar, gave their time and energy, or simply shared the appeal.
by 
