Pick n Pay prepared over 6,000 kg of produce into 2,000 soup packs, including soup mix, split peas and fresh vegetables.

The soup packs were delivered to various charities during the day with fresh bread and are expected to make over 50,000 warm, nutritious meals.

Staff in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria joined forces today to make a difference in the communities they serve by preparing and delivering pre-packed ingredients to over 20 charities.

The items to make these packs have been donated by partners, Imbo and Always Fresh, Pick n Pay and the Feed the Nation Foundation.

Pick n Pay’s founder Raymond Ackerman firmly established the ethos of ‘doing good is good business’, which the retailer practices daily through its various initiatives, says Vaughan Pierce, Executive: ESG at Pick n Pay. “Participating in Mandela Day is another opportunity for our staff to embody the spirit of service and unity that Nelson Mandela passionately advocated for.”

In Cape Town, the soup packs were donated to U-Turn, A21, St Francis for Boys, Home of Hope, I Can Academy, Crystal House, Kin Culture, Beryl and local schools Rosemead Primary, Constantia Primary and Meadowridge Primary.

In Johannesburg, charities included: Home of Hope in Kensington and Protea Retirement Village in Primrose.

In Pretoria, charities included: Reliable House – Hatfield, Harm Reduction Centre Pretoria, Youth for Survival and Gem Village.

In the Eastern Cape, the soup packs were delivered through Pick n Pay School Club to De Vos Malan Primary School, Frank Joubert Primary School and Protea House of Safety.