The WAS Foundation has launched its winter campaign, running a blanket drive to collect 1,500 blankets and soup packets for people in need.
Krugersdorp West, South Africa (18 April 2023) – The WAS Foundation has kicked off its winter campaign with a blanket drive for the community of Krugersdorp West. They hope to reach as many families in need, giving them warming blankets and comforting soup.
The WAS Foundation was founded on the 27th of October 2009 by Esmarelda van Zyl, rescuing animals from local townships and re-homing them into loving-approved homes. She has dedicated her life to supporting the community around her, hoping to better the lives of people going through incredible hardship.
Soon it was not only about helping desolate animals. Esmarelda decided to give a voice to the people who could not speak for themselves; our starving community!
Esmarelda and her team of volunteers have been working non-stop since that day to uplift the communities, we currently have over 3000 people that we provide basic needs for eg, food, clothes, toiletries and medical assistance.
In 2018, WAS Foundation managed to rent a property in Krugersdorp West to supply immediate relief to the homeless, people living in squatter camps and in backyards, and the poor community, where they can have a special place to get food, clothing and attend upliftment projects.
This is when the foundation started really making a difference. They managed to feed just over 41,000 people in that year. In 2019, the foundation was able to purchase a property called Rainbow Haven and solidify its place within the community. Year after year, the foundation has fed millions and celebrated touching over 1.1 million lives in 2022.
“It’s very important for us to supply daily breakfasts, lunchboxes before school and cooked meals, but it is more important to be there for the community, we assist families with any relief, as well as abused woman and children. Rainbow Haven is not just a soup kitchen, it’s a community centre, a place for anyone to escape reality and be themselves. We have many abused women volunteering their time at Rainbow Haven and assist the community.
Recently we have opened our second street kitchen in Alberton and we supply cooked meals and food parcels to a squatter camp in Alberton North. We also look after an old age home with 126 units in Vereeniging and supply immediate relief to the seniors in the area.” – Esmarelda van Zyl
Esmarelda and the WAS Foundation team have now launched their winter campaign and blanket drive. The hope is to collect 1,500 blankets and packets of soup which they will hand out to people in need.
You can find out more about the foundation and blanket drive via Facebook here.
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