Please see a list of our annual initiatives below.
Our primary project, which is our feeding project, runs continuously, 365 days a year.
The other initiatives operate as supplemental projects.
Feeding Project
Hundreds of families struggle everyday to provide food and clothing for themselves and their children; many of these families endure appalling living circumstances.
By doing the following, we at Helping SA are striving to turn these people's fate and their chain of unfortunate events around:
We assist them with food parcels, clothing, toiletries, blankets, and other necessities. We help families with children so that the family can remain together and the kids aren't taken away from their parents because they're having financial difficulties. We only work with families where the parents are eager to improve their own lives and who need a little extra help to care for and feed their children, ensuring that their children can't be taken away from them because with our help, the kids are fed and clothed, the kids are taken care of, and the family are kept together. We make sure that young women are using birth control and are aware of the consequences of having another child.
Our mission is to increase awareness and prevent additional children from being born below the poverty line.
Families that are unwilling to work or who are not mindful enough to refrain from having further children are not eligible for our assistance.
We aid until the family is able to develop to the point where our assistance is no longer required, at which time we may move on to new families.
By supporting them in getting jobs, we are also working to help those who are committed to helping themselves.
Each basic food parcel for a family is costly, therefore we need sponsors.
A food parcel with just the bare essentials cost’s us around R1800.00 per family per month.
Donations received towards our feeding project will be used to buy basic food parcels which is individually packed according to the specific needs of the family or elderly, we provide the food parcels in such a way that it is completely beneficial to each family and not a waste as each family differs from the next with number of children or any health issues and such. This project will assist families with children as well as the elderly. We assist the families and elderly with weekly/monthly food parcels; it becomes difficult for children to stay positive about the future when they don’t even know when and where they will receive their next meal.
Because we buy in bulk, we can assist more with less;
Hundreds of families struggle everyday to provide food and clothing for themselves and their children; many of these families endure appalling living circumstances.
By doing the following, we at Helping SA are striving to turn these people's fate and their chain of unfortunate events around:
We assist them with food parcels, clothing, toiletries, blankets, and other necessities. We help families with children so that the family can remain together and the kids aren't taken away from their parents because they're having financial difficulties. We only work with families where the parents are eager to improve their own lives and who need a little extra help to care for and feed their children, ensuring that their children can't be taken away from them because with our help, the kids are fed and clothed, the kids are taken care of, and the family are kept together. We make sure that young women are using birth control and are aware of the consequences of having another child.
Our mission is to increase awareness and prevent additional children from being born below the poverty line.
Families that are unwilling to work or who are not mindful enough to refrain from having further children are not eligible for our assistance.
We aid until the family is able to develop to the point where our assistance is no longer required, at which time we may move on to new families.
By supporting them in getting jobs, we are also working to help those who are committed to helping themselves.
Each basic food parcel for a family is costly, therefore we need sponsors.
A food parcel with just the bare essentials cost’s us around R1800.00 per family per month.
Donations received towards our feeding project will be used to buy basic food parcels which is individually packed according to the specific needs of the family or elderly, we provide the food parcels in such a way that it is completely beneficial to each family and not a waste as each family differs from the next with number of children or any health issues and such. This project will assist families with children as well as the elderly. We assist the families and elderly with weekly/monthly food parcels; it becomes difficult for children to stay positive about the future when they don’t even know when and where they will receive their next meal.
Because we buy in bulk, we can assist more with less;
- R50 – 2 Children / elderly have food for 1 day
- R 100 – 2 Children / elderly have food for 2 days
- R 500 – 2 children/ elderly have food for 10 days
- R 1000 – 2 Children / elderly have food for 20 days
- R5000 – 2 Children/ elderly have food for 3 months
- R10’000 – 2 children/ elderly Have food for 6 Months (186 days)
School Project
Because the children's parents are in such financial straits, a lot of kids are showing up to school hungry and exhausted.
The number of students who arrive to school without having eaten breakfast or the night before has increased.
These students are often clothed in ragged clothing and worn-out shoes.
It seems like a scene from a horror film, but this is reality.
Some children are so hungry that they have to steal food from others. Some children even steal additional food since their entire family is starving. None of this is the fault of the parents, who doesn't have a budget to work with or make such minimal salary that it's a daily battle for them to maintain a roof over their children's heads
while living costs rise and jobs are often lost.
Please help us make a difference in a child's life as these youngsters already endure a great deal of suffering from being harassed and humiliated at school for not having the proper uniform and school supplies.
The saddest part is when we interact with the children we see the lost faces, at 8 years old this is too big for them, the younger the heart the bigger the hope and unfortunately the dreams of a better future crumbled right in front of their eyes, no more dreams of becoming a fireman, no more little girls dreaming of their matric dance and big white wedding as that time is filled with broken feet, hungry tummies, heat stroked and walking the street with mommy to beg for food, something they did not realized existed has become their daily routine.
We need to get the children interested in school again, but it will be impossible if they are sent to school with hungry tummies and no stationary or a shopping bag as a school bag and without proper uniforms, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Because the children's parents are in such financial straits, a lot of kids are showing up to school hungry and exhausted.
The number of students who arrive to school without having eaten breakfast or the night before has increased.
These students are often clothed in ragged clothing and worn-out shoes.
It seems like a scene from a horror film, but this is reality.
Some children are so hungry that they have to steal food from others. Some children even steal additional food since their entire family is starving. None of this is the fault of the parents, who doesn't have a budget to work with or make such minimal salary that it's a daily battle for them to maintain a roof over their children's heads
while living costs rise and jobs are often lost.
Please help us make a difference in a child's life as these youngsters already endure a great deal of suffering from being harassed and humiliated at school for not having the proper uniform and school supplies.
The saddest part is when we interact with the children we see the lost faces, at 8 years old this is too big for them, the younger the heart the bigger the hope and unfortunately the dreams of a better future crumbled right in front of their eyes, no more dreams of becoming a fireman, no more little girls dreaming of their matric dance and big white wedding as that time is filled with broken feet, hungry tummies, heat stroked and walking the street with mommy to beg for food, something they did not realized existed has become their daily routine.
We need to get the children interested in school again, but it will be impossible if they are sent to school with hungry tummies and no stationary or a shopping bag as a school bag and without proper uniforms, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Winter Project
Many children have to go through winter with blankets that are torn and have holes in them. Siblings have to share one blanket as they do not have their own, or in a family of 4 they only have one blanket. Some have no blanket at all and have to rely on a plastic bag or box to cover themselves.
For these families, it’s difficult just to have bread to eat, not to mention being able to take a few rand and buy a blanket. We have situations where children get into fights with their brothers or sisters over a jersey. At the moment we are faced with a lot more child run homes with no means of earnings, where the parent or grandparent has died and thus the family they looked after, does not even receive a grant anymore due to the children not being 18 or was not registered, it seems strange to think that there is 100s of children who when losing a parent or guardian, has no one else to turn to, and that is where we come in. we assist with warm bedding, clothing and school uniforms, extra food parcels. Our winter drive focus a lot on the homeless to get warm meals, blankets and clothing to as many as possible and as soon as possible.
The elderly suffer just as much. We have the elderly staying on the streets, in garages, shacks, and back rooms with raw cement floors, holes in the walls, and broken windows. These are elderly people that the state feel do not qualify for a pension grant or they do receive but it is barely enough to have food for a week. They are also unable to find employment due to their age and illnesses.
The number of deaths rises in the winter months as the cold makes it difficult to fight off viruses and illnesses. The one thing we seldom hear about is the number of deaths of the elderly during the winter months. They have been forgotten by their children, who live on their own in cold back rooms and garages, and most have illnesses such as arthritis, Respiratory Diseases, Heart Disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease and many more High Risk ailments, which is already very painful and gets worse with the cold. They will roll up into balls and just try and keep warm, often not being able to get up and find something to eat, most not having a proper meal to start with, resulting in them getting weaker and weaker. Poverty affects senior health if you're unable to afford doctor visits, medication for chronic conditions, and other essential senior healthcare needs. Winter is a beautiful season but a dreadful one for all destitute families, children, and the elderly. It’s the longest months of your existence if you have no warm clothes, no warm bedding, live in a room with raw cement floors, and holes in your roof, and still have to fight off the hunger that overcomes you. Where can they find the strength that they need to overcome all of this?
We need to be that change. We can give them strength. We can lift them up by providing blankets, warm clothing, and warm food. Please help us to make this difference in the lives of those who are suffering so much already.
Many children have to go through winter with blankets that are torn and have holes in them. Siblings have to share one blanket as they do not have their own, or in a family of 4 they only have one blanket. Some have no blanket at all and have to rely on a plastic bag or box to cover themselves.
For these families, it’s difficult just to have bread to eat, not to mention being able to take a few rand and buy a blanket. We have situations where children get into fights with their brothers or sisters over a jersey. At the moment we are faced with a lot more child run homes with no means of earnings, where the parent or grandparent has died and thus the family they looked after, does not even receive a grant anymore due to the children not being 18 or was not registered, it seems strange to think that there is 100s of children who when losing a parent or guardian, has no one else to turn to, and that is where we come in. we assist with warm bedding, clothing and school uniforms, extra food parcels. Our winter drive focus a lot on the homeless to get warm meals, blankets and clothing to as many as possible and as soon as possible.
The elderly suffer just as much. We have the elderly staying on the streets, in garages, shacks, and back rooms with raw cement floors, holes in the walls, and broken windows. These are elderly people that the state feel do not qualify for a pension grant or they do receive but it is barely enough to have food for a week. They are also unable to find employment due to their age and illnesses.
The number of deaths rises in the winter months as the cold makes it difficult to fight off viruses and illnesses. The one thing we seldom hear about is the number of deaths of the elderly during the winter months. They have been forgotten by their children, who live on their own in cold back rooms and garages, and most have illnesses such as arthritis, Respiratory Diseases, Heart Disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease and many more High Risk ailments, which is already very painful and gets worse with the cold. They will roll up into balls and just try and keep warm, often not being able to get up and find something to eat, most not having a proper meal to start with, resulting in them getting weaker and weaker. Poverty affects senior health if you're unable to afford doctor visits, medication for chronic conditions, and other essential senior healthcare needs. Winter is a beautiful season but a dreadful one for all destitute families, children, and the elderly. It’s the longest months of your existence if you have no warm clothes, no warm bedding, live in a room with raw cement floors, and holes in your roof, and still have to fight off the hunger that overcomes you. Where can they find the strength that they need to overcome all of this?
We need to be that change. We can give them strength. We can lift them up by providing blankets, warm clothing, and warm food. Please help us to make this difference in the lives of those who are suffering so much already.
Cancer Project
A cancer awareness campaign is being run by Helping SA once a year to raise funds for kids with cancer being treated in public hospitals.
The funds raised through this campaign will be used to obtain children's clothing and toys, as well as to help with the transportation of the kids and their parents to and from the hospital. Many kids don't have comfortable pajamas for their hospital stays and they also don't have anything to occupy them and keep their little minds off of what they are going through.
We help with nutritious, balanced food parcels for these families for when the children return from the hospital so that they can have healthy food to eat and it is one less concern for these families and children already going through this dreadful experience. As they are already so afraid and uncertain of the future, we feel it's vital for the children's parents to be able to visit and be with them. We also know that transportation may become very problematic between residence, hospital, and employment, especially if they have little or nothing to start with.
It becomes even more crucial to lift up the spirits of both the children and their families. We helped many youngsters smile with this initiative in 2022, and for just a moment or two, they forgot about their suffering and how terrifying, what they were going through was. We also did this for kids who were not just dealing with cancer, but with other illnesses or terrifying conditions.
2023 we will do the same and, will focus on all children facing dreadful diseases to help them cope with their struggles in the same way.
Campaign for Assistance and Relief Project
We have a special drive once a year called the HSA Action Against Violence Campaign:
We will not just be providing the families as usual with monthly food parcels, but we will also do a campaign on a massive scale to evaluate the families. We will also be doing this in part by speaking to neighbors, community members, and teachers. Our aim with this campaign is to assist the abused to speak up and for us to give them the assistance they need to leave their abuser.
Many individuals being abused have no way out and cannot leave because they do not have a support system. We will be their support system by being the difference and by doing activities such as, i.e., making arrangements, assisting with transport problems, getting children to school and back for them to get to work, food parcels, clothing, furniture, etc.
We will not be doing this just for the families and individuals on our list who already receive our assistance with food parcels, but for all whom we can assist. We have already gotten a list from churches and community members in most areas of possible victims.
Our campaign will be run in such a manner that no child, woman, or man will feel violated or scared to speak up, or feel embarrassed and ashamed of their situation.
We will also cater to emotional support through counseling and not just that, our volunteers will have an open-door policy to be contacted should they feel they need to talk to someone. Even if we can just be someone’s shoulder to cry on for the day, it makes a difference to the ones who need it when they need it the most.
We personally feel that we need to make this drive one of the most successful campaigns that we have run since 2013. We have always assisted abused women and their children with food parcels but feel it is now more important than ever to get involved on the ground level.
The harm caused by domestic violence can be physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social, and the effects are usually overlapping and interrelated. Schoolers sensitized to the noise of family violence may cope by tuning out the noise, consequently posing difficulties for those wishing to interact with them in a school setting.
While some students affected by domestic violence will experience educational settings as a source of continuity and security, others will experience them as challenging.
It is therefore essential to take into account the range of responses to domestic violence among children. They live with it and experience it directly, just as adults do. Regarding children as "affected by" domestic violence diminishes its impact on them. Instead, we call for children to be recognized as direct victims of violence and abuse, which in turn could improve professional responses to their needs. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Domestic violence can be one of the most difficult types of situations to talk about and escape from. And, sadly, it can happen to anyone—women, men, children, spouses, and even friends. No one is immune to domestic violence.
"We are aware we can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone."
We have a special drive once a year called the HSA Action Against Violence Campaign:
We will not just be providing the families as usual with monthly food parcels, but we will also do a campaign on a massive scale to evaluate the families. We will also be doing this in part by speaking to neighbors, community members, and teachers. Our aim with this campaign is to assist the abused to speak up and for us to give them the assistance they need to leave their abuser.
Many individuals being abused have no way out and cannot leave because they do not have a support system. We will be their support system by being the difference and by doing activities such as, i.e., making arrangements, assisting with transport problems, getting children to school and back for them to get to work, food parcels, clothing, furniture, etc.
We will not be doing this just for the families and individuals on our list who already receive our assistance with food parcels, but for all whom we can assist. We have already gotten a list from churches and community members in most areas of possible victims.
Our campaign will be run in such a manner that no child, woman, or man will feel violated or scared to speak up, or feel embarrassed and ashamed of their situation.
We will also cater to emotional support through counseling and not just that, our volunteers will have an open-door policy to be contacted should they feel they need to talk to someone. Even if we can just be someone’s shoulder to cry on for the day, it makes a difference to the ones who need it when they need it the most.
We personally feel that we need to make this drive one of the most successful campaigns that we have run since 2013. We have always assisted abused women and their children with food parcels but feel it is now more important than ever to get involved on the ground level.
The harm caused by domestic violence can be physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social, and the effects are usually overlapping and interrelated. Schoolers sensitized to the noise of family violence may cope by tuning out the noise, consequently posing difficulties for those wishing to interact with them in a school setting.
While some students affected by domestic violence will experience educational settings as a source of continuity and security, others will experience them as challenging.
It is therefore essential to take into account the range of responses to domestic violence among children. They live with it and experience it directly, just as adults do. Regarding children as "affected by" domestic violence diminishes its impact on them. Instead, we call for children to be recognized as direct victims of violence and abuse, which in turn could improve professional responses to their needs. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Domestic violence can be one of the most difficult types of situations to talk about and escape from. And, sadly, it can happen to anyone—women, men, children, spouses, and even friends. No one is immune to domestic violence.
"We are aware we can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone."
Christmas Project
We provide several private events for abandoned children from various neighborhoods and villages, as well as for the elderly and mentally challenged seniors who have suffered greatly this year.
Our goal is to provide them with a special day where they can enjoy themselves, experience love, and be showered with gifts and treats. One of the drive's objectives is to provide Christmas gifts and food parcels for children from destitute families for Christmas day, where the parents will give the gifts to the kids so that the entire family can celebrate Christmas and be a family. Our goal is to make the kids happy without taking away from their parents' or families' joy. The families will enjoy a proper meal on Christmas day.
The main aim of this drive is to provide the families and elderly with more food parcels during this time. As the Children relied on the meal they received at school, they will not be receiving this meal during the school break so we need to ensure that we can replace that meal, Christmas gifts and parties is a sensitive subject never-mind walking around in the streets during the festive season trying to find something to eat for them and their younger siblings. We will not allow the current situations in the world to become an excuse not to show love to the needy, we will show more love and care!
There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and know Santa did not visit you once again and the feast to look forward to will be the same as always, bread or nothing at all
Christmas... Is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of a child's memory, they will always carry in their heart.
There are so many children who go to bed hungry that ask themselves " why me what have I done",
it is difficult for children to keep their faith strong and to keep on trying.
YOU CAN MAKE IT A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER.
As all of us are starting to make plans for the festive season that is upon us to spend time with our families,
these children have nothing to look forward to, not a Christmas meal or present and they will have little or even no food during the festive season.
We have the power to change this by showing them a little bit of love and understanding, there is a candle burning in every soul and we need to keep that candle burning.
We provide several private events for abandoned children from various neighborhoods and villages, as well as for the elderly and mentally challenged seniors who have suffered greatly this year.
Our goal is to provide them with a special day where they can enjoy themselves, experience love, and be showered with gifts and treats. One of the drive's objectives is to provide Christmas gifts and food parcels for children from destitute families for Christmas day, where the parents will give the gifts to the kids so that the entire family can celebrate Christmas and be a family. Our goal is to make the kids happy without taking away from their parents' or families' joy. The families will enjoy a proper meal on Christmas day.
The main aim of this drive is to provide the families and elderly with more food parcels during this time. As the Children relied on the meal they received at school, they will not be receiving this meal during the school break so we need to ensure that we can replace that meal, Christmas gifts and parties is a sensitive subject never-mind walking around in the streets during the festive season trying to find something to eat for them and their younger siblings. We will not allow the current situations in the world to become an excuse not to show love to the needy, we will show more love and care!
There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and know Santa did not visit you once again and the feast to look forward to will be the same as always, bread or nothing at all
Christmas... Is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of a child's memory, they will always carry in their heart.
There are so many children who go to bed hungry that ask themselves " why me what have I done",
it is difficult for children to keep their faith strong and to keep on trying.
YOU CAN MAKE IT A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER.
As all of us are starting to make plans for the festive season that is upon us to spend time with our families,
these children have nothing to look forward to, not a Christmas meal or present and they will have little or even no food during the festive season.
We have the power to change this by showing them a little bit of love and understanding, there is a candle burning in every soul and we need to keep that candle burning.