{"id":298036,"date":"2026-06-10T14:03:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/?p=298036"},"modified":"2026-06-10T14:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:03:21","slug":"flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KOUGA <\/strong>\u2013 Humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers continues to provide emergency assistance to communities across the Kouga region after a second major flood in less than 30 days left many families displaced and struggling to rebuild their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest flooding followed heavy rain that struck the Kouga and Kou-Kamma regions from 3 June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As previously reported<\/a>, residents had been urged to prepare after the South African Weather Service upgraded its warning from Level 5 to Level 8 for disruptive rainfall expected on 3 and 4 June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rainfall led to road closures, rockfalls and flooding across the region, prompting advisories from both the Eastern Cape Department of Transport and Kouga Local Municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement, Gift of the Givers indicated that their teams remain on the ground in the Kouga region, working alongside Kouga Municipal Disaster Management to support affected communities in Andrieskraal, Thornhill, Hankey and St Francis Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A second devastating flood in just 30 days has left many families across the Kouga District displaced and struggling to rebuild their lives,” the organisation said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To assist affected residents, Gift of the Givers provided emergency relief supplies, including hot meals twice daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation indicated that essential items being distributed include blankets, sleeping mats, hygiene packs and baby care products for families sheltering in community halls and centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the difficult circumstances, there were moments of joy for children affected by the floods when they received soccer balls sponsored by Sedgefield SPAR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation said the simple gifts brought smiles, comfort and an opportunity for children to play despite the challenges they faced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As communities navigate yet another difficult chapter, we remain committed to standing by those most in need,” the organisation said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gift of the Givers expressed its gratitude to emergency personnel, volunteers, donors and partners whose continued support has helped make the relief efforts possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our sincere gratitude goes to every donor, partner, and volunteer helping us bring relief, hope, and dignity to communities in need,” the organisation said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALSO READ<\/strong>: Justice for Leo: Landmark sentence sends strong message against animal cruelty<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gift of the Givers continues to provide emergency relief to flood-stricken Kouga communities after a second major flood in less than 30 days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":298037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"76","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8968,9459,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-298036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-gift-of-the-givers","tag-severe-weather","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"\nFlood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families | Kouga Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood in 30 days, delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to hundreds of displaced families.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood in 30 days, delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to hundreds of displaced families.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kouga Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/lightspeedwpdev\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T12:03:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T12:03:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kouga Express\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/x.com\/lightspeedwp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kouga Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d9d8e6bb40fa6983d90edd80d15a679f\"},\"headline\":\"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T12:03:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-10T12:03:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":351,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gift of the Givers\",\"severe weather\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/\",\"name\":\"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families | Kouga Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T12:03:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-10T12:03:21+00:00\",\"description\":\"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood in 30 days, delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to hundreds of displaced families.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood. PHOTO: Pixabay\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Kouga Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PEExpress1\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Kouga Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kouga area since 2004. Established with the goal of keeping the Kouga and Koukamma communities informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 20,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door every week. Kouga Express\u2019 distribution area includes Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St. Francis Bay, Cape St. Francis, Aston Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Misgund, Joubertina, Krakeelrivier, Louterwater, Kareedouw, and Uniondale.\",\"email\":\"kougaexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"042-992 5650\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d9d8e6bb40fa6983d90edd80d15a679f\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kouga Express\"},\"description\":\"Ash Shaw is the founder of LightSpeed, a WordPress design and development agency established in 2003. With over 20 years of experience, Ash is a seasoned business manager, web strategist, and product lead specializing in WordPress, WooCommerce, AI-driven workflows, and digital publishing solutions. A key figure in the WordPress community since 2007, Ash has played a significant role in organizing WordCamp events, developing open-source projects, and leading UX\\\/UI improvements in WordPress-based platforms. Ash is passionate about design systems, block-based themes, and bridging the gap between design and development.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/lightspeedwp.agency\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/facebook.com\\\/lightspeedwpdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/lightspeedwpdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/lightspeedwp\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/lightspeedwp\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@lightspeedwp\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/author\\\/lightspeedwp\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families | Kouga Express","description":"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood in 30 days, delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to hundreds of displaced families.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families","og_description":"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood in 30 days, delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to hundreds of displaced families.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/","og_site_name":"Kouga Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","article_author":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/lightspeedwpdev","article_published_time":"2026-06-10T12:03:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-10T12:03:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kouga Express","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/x.com\/lightspeedwp","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kouga Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/"},"author":{"name":"Kouga Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/d9d8e6bb40fa6983d90edd80d15a679f"},"headline":"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families","datePublished":"2026-06-10T12:03:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-10T12:03:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/"},"wordCount":351,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Gift of the Givers","severe weather","Top"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/","name":"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families | Kouga Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-10T12:03:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-10T12:03:21+00:00","description":"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood in 30 days, delivering hot meals and emergency supplies to hundreds of displaced families.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Gift of the Givers responds to a second Kouga flood. PHOTO: Pixabay"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/flood-relief-from-gift-of-the-givers-brings-hope-to-kouga-families\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Flood relief from Gift of the Givers brings hope to Kouga families"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/","name":"Kouga Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization","name":"Kouga Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Kouga Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/"],"description":"Kouga Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kouga area since 2004. Established with the goal of keeping the Kouga and Koukamma communities informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 20,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door every week. Kouga Express\u2019 distribution area includes Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St. Francis Bay, Cape St. Francis, Aston Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Misgund, Joubertina, Krakeelrivier, Louterwater, Kareedouw, and Uniondale.","email":"kougaexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"042-992 5650","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/d9d8e6bb40fa6983d90edd80d15a679f","name":"Kouga Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kouga Express"},"description":"Ash Shaw is the founder of LightSpeed, a WordPress design and development agency established in 2003. With over 20 years of experience, Ash is a seasoned business manager, web strategist, and product lead specializing in WordPress, WooCommerce, AI-driven workflows, and digital publishing solutions. A key figure in the WordPress community since 2007, Ash has played a significant role in organizing WordCamp events, developing open-source projects, and leading UX\/UI improvements in WordPress-based platforms. Ash is passionate about design systems, block-based themes, and bridging the gap between design and development.","sameAs":["https:\/\/lightspeedwp.agency\/","https:\/\/facebook.com\/lightspeedwpdev","https:\/\/instagram.com\/lightspeedwpdev","https:\/\/linkedin.com\/company\/lightspeedwp","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/x.com\/lightspeedwp","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@lightspeedwp"],"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/author\/lightspeedwp\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/couleur-soup-1503117-scaled.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":297804,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/kouga-and-kou-kamma-brace-for-more-rain-after-may-floods\/","url_meta":{"origin":298036,"position":0},"title":"Kouga and Kou-Kamma brace for more rain after May floods","author":"Kouga Express","date":"1 June 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Residents in Kouga and Kou-Kamma are urged to prepare for severe weather after SAWS issued a Level 5 warning for disruptive rain from 3 to 4 June.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SANParks suspends trails and water activities across multiple sections as Orange Level 8 warning signals dangerous conditions in the days ahead.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fence-7435286_1280-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fence-7435286_1280-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fence-7435286_1280-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fence-7435286_1280-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fence-7435286_1280-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":297424,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/extraordinary-flood-pushes-kouga-dam-beyond-capacity\/","url_meta":{"origin":298036,"position":1},"title":"Extraordinary flood pushes Kouga Dam beyond capacity","author":"Kouga Express","date":"14 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Unprecedented flooding in the Gamtoos Valley has broken records at Kouga Dam, which surged from below 33% to overflowing in just 18 hours.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Unprecedented flooding in the Gamtoos Valley has broken records at Kouga Dam, which surged from below 33% to overflowing in just 18 hours.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KougaDam_13411.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KougaDam_13411.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KougaDam_13411.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KougaDam_13411.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/KougaDam_13411.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Kouga Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298036"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":298038,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298036\/revisions\/298038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298036"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=298036"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=298036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}