The Merriman Lions Club in Goodwood is still busy with the Lions Hunger Relief programme, one of the eight international pillars of service supported by clubs worldwide, where food is redistributed.
“The Lions Club was founded in Parow and began its humanitarian community service on 10 June 1965. The club immediately established a food project for the redistribution of donated fruit, vegetables and bakery goods from its own premises. Donated by designated Pick n Pay stores, the foodstuff was close to its sell-by-date and rather than waste it the members collected every Saturday, sorting and repacking food parcels for those in need,” says Clive Fox, past president and Green Team leader of the Merriman Lions Club.
“Some time passed until it was decided that the club should find premises to lease in the neighbouring suburb of Goodwood resulting in us retaining our history but changing our name.
“With its relocation and membership growth the club gained members from Ruyterwacht in the person of the Heldsinger family of whom three are Merriman members.
“This enabled the redistribution of food collected from the supermarket to qualifying beneficiaries, especially pensioners. The project’s convener is Mark Heldsinger who is physically challenged due to an horrific life-threatening knife attack many years ago.
“The club pays for the transport costs to collect and return the food to Mark’s home. It is then sorted and packed into bags for either collection or delivery usually by bicycle! In many ways it is a true labour of love as there are at least 12 collections a month involving a collective 72 hours of community service to an average of 985 needy recipientsevery month. Mark is much appreciated by the beneficiaries,” Fox says.
When additional funding is available then those being fed often receive bonus gifts of food and some luxuries they might not otherwise receive. Due to the various lockdown levels the club has been unable to raise funds publicly because many of their members have comorbidities which place them at risk.
“When Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown started Merriman Lions Club set about raising public funds and initiating public appeals for ingredients in support of a Covid Kitchen organised by another local Lions Club. With commercially funded facilities it fed people through many local clubs and other organisations right across the northern and southern suburbs, the Atlantic seaboard and beyond.
“Due to the closures in the hospitality sector the Covid Kitchen could not continue and we started our own operating from our premises in Goodwood,” he says.
All their projects in communities are run by Lions members. Children’s organisations and the elderly are fed on a weekly rotational basis and the Lions Club supplies bulk, nutritious cooked food which the organisations collect.
“We are sponsored by businesses in the community and without them we won’t be able to do what we are currently doing,” Fox says.
The Merriman Lions’ general business meetings are held monthly on the second Monday of the month starting at 19:00. To attend as a guest, or to donate call 072 159 0028.
