Stories shape who we are as South Africans. Rescued food goes beyond meals on plates. It preserves dignity, strengthens communities, and carries traditions forward. Every donation and delivery supports care and respect.
This Heritage Month, we spotlighted three community-based organisations that showed how food preserved memory, supported communities, and provided nourishment. Their stories reflected how communities protected their heritage while meeting basic needs and helping one another.
Itlhokomeleng Old Age Home – Alexandra, Johannesburg
Itlhokomeleng, founded in 1978 by Dr. Marjorie Manganye and a group of local women, serves pensioners and disabled people. Its name means “help yourselves” in Sesotho.
The home shelters 103 elderly residents and supports hundreds more through outreach programs. Daily life includes communal meals, prayer, and storytelling. Staff and volunteers ensure residents feel included.
The cooks use SA Harvest’s rescued food to make samp and stew, porridge, beetroot and butternut salads, and custard with canned peaches. This is how they work with the ingredients while keeping the care these elders have passed down.
“Most importantly, I am proud that Itlhokomeleng has remained a place of love, respect, and care, where the elderly are not forgotten, but honoured.” – Gogo Marjorie
Queens Soup Kitchen – Durban
Queens Soup Kitchen has worked for six years to address hunger in Durban. Using rescued food and support from partners like Pick n Pay, they prepare up to 2,000 meals a month.
They distribute food parcels to families and support children’s homes, mental health facilities, and disability homes.
The volunteers and cooks use rescued food to make soups, stews, and vegetable dishes. This is how they turn the ingredients into meals that feed people and preserve care.
Groundbreakers – Cape Town
Founded in 2012, Groundbreakers works through Food, Education, and Play. Their One Meal at a Time programme provides food to ECD centres, pensioners’ markets, and youth holiday programmes. They focus on communities facing poverty and food insecurity, ensuring meals reach children, the elderly, and families in need.
When SA Harvest delivers rescued food, communities come together to help offload, cook, and share meals. The cooks use the ingredients to make potjiekos, stews, soups, and simple sweet treats. This is how they turn rescued food into meals that feed people and connect the community.
Groundbreakers also teach children and youth about healthy eating, hygiene, and basic cooking skills. Families participate in meal preparation and distribution, creating learning opportunities. During COVID-19, they provided food parcels for households affected by job losses and school closures.
Through consistent delivery and community engagement, Groundbreakers ensures rescued food reaches those who need it while reinforcing sharing, collaboration, and self-reliance.
Why These Stories Matter
Food rescue is not only about redistribution. It carries traditions, reduces hunger, and creates spaces where communities thrive.
This Heritage Month, we honour the heritage of food rescue – stories of resilience, care, and respect in every shared meal.