Every month the 19 Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens, of which 6 are UD Trucks vehicles, serve on average 300 000 meals in destitute communities. This worthy cause has been in operation since 2007 and has since served more than 41 million nutritious meals of soup and bread. In order to extend their support to suffering countries outside of South African borders, the 6th unit now provides food to children in Angola!
The trucks operate six days a week and are kitted with fully-functional kitchen and gas cooking equipment where the fortified soup is prepared.
“Our participation in this very worthy cause is another way in which transport has a significant impact on people’s daily lives,” said Filip Van den Heede, Managing Director of UD Trucks Southern Africa.
Now with the recent outbreak of Covid-19 and the resulting impact the lockdown has had on our South African economy this support is more critical than ever. The Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens have since the implementation of the national lockdown supplied more than 80 000 meals to 145 beneficiary organisations across South Africa. “In these unprecedented times we continue the work of supporting communities in need. As a food retailer we not only perform the essential function of providing food to the nation through our supermarkets, but are also employing initiatives like the Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens to distribute food to communities with limited access to nutritious meals,” says Lunga Schoeman, CSI Manager for the Shoprite Group.
“As a local manufacturer, with regional reach, we remain grateful for their ongoing efforts in these difficult times and the opportunity to continue making a tangible difference in our local communities, no matter how big or small, thereby showing how we live the UD Trucks philosophy of going the extra mile in everything that we do.” continued Filip.
