28 September 2021 -- Mother Soup, winners of the Mayor's Award, invites you to attend our “Open-House” on October 6-7 from 10h00 - 12h30. During the event, visitors will be able to see the entire soup making and distribution process under the FAR-UVC, which to date, has provided over five million meals to Cape Town’s hungry since the first Covid lockdowns began in March of 2020.
The event is taking place to raise awareness and attract donations for the establishment of a permanent, purpose-built food production facility near the Epping fresh vegetable and fruit market and closer to the core of Mother Soup's 80+ recipient organizations. Mother Soup was originally established as a “once-off” but given the growing demand from Cape Town’s communities, the founders have decided to build a permanent facility to feed those in need. Currently, this home-grown and privately funded initiative can provide up to 21,000 meals per day. In addition to private donors, generous corporate donors have provided funding, essential ingredients, bread, and other staples and transportation for distribution. The Cape Town community has truly come together as one to support this amazing initiative.
The event will allow visitors to see the entire process and will also feature a pioneering technology donated by Lumenlabs™ USA using safe FAR-UVC light to create a “Covid safe zone” for staff and volunteers making and distributing the soup to ensure the operations can continue.
|
|
|
According to Andre Viljoen, the founder of Mother Soup and owner of Woodstock Brewery, “when the first lock-down hit and we could no longer make beer, we quickly realized that we could sit around and do nothing or use our large kettles (3000 ltr) and brewing efficiencies to feed the hungry”. “So many people that were already barely getting by, were suddenly left without jobs as the many industries either collapsed or went dormant”. The initiative is being run and managed by a well-established charity, the Great Commission United (GCU) that focuses on community and youth development. According to GCU’s Adam Kane-Smith, “if a child does not have enough nutrition for physical and brain development, we are likely to have lost the battle in ensuring that that child has a fair chance at education and life”. “Mother Soup provides a nutritionally and calorically balanced meal to ensure that we can get through this crisis. Despite all the soup we have provide over the last 18 months, the demand is only increasing, and that is why we are building a dedicated facility to continue feeding those in need”, said Kane-Smith
|
|
Kane-Smith Added, “the facility will allow us to by ingredients at wholesale prices and even below as some ingredients have limited shelf life and are not ideal for the retail trade. Many farmers also donate ingredients. By establishing the facility in Epping, we can hire local workers to process the vegetables and make meals – a true win-win for the communities most in need of jobs and supplemented food'.
What is also unique about this event is that it represents Africa’s first wide-scale application of this revolutionary new weapon in the fight against Covid and other pathogens. Lumenlabs Africa the distributor of FAR-UVC lighting solutions has donated its Lumenizer 300™, in order to ensure soup production can continue in “Covid safe” environment adding another layer of protection to decrease the chance volunteers and workers being exposed to or spreading Covid.
SAVE THE DATE:
The event will take place on 6 &7 October from 10h00 to 12h30 at Mother Soup Woodstock Brewery, 252 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925. Tours will be given on the Hour and each step of the process will also be live streamed via the following link: Michael is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Mtg Via This Link: Mother Soup Open House
Meeting ID: 854 5735 1716
Passcode: Mothersoup
One tap mobile: +2721426819
The Mother Soup, GCU teams will be on hand to give guests a tour of the facility and to encourage others to get involved with the initiative, and chat to visitors about how the Mother Soup Initiative is making a difference in Cape Town. We will be honoured to have you attend. There will be an opportunity for a tour, questions, and photography.
Please RSVP if you will be attending in person:
Michael: +27 79 079 6475, or Jinger: +27 82 653 9735
About Mother Soup
The Mother Soup Initiative was born during South Africa’s first lockdown in 2020 by the Woodstock Brewery and has continued ever since. The initiative has been supported by generous donors (individual and corporate) and currently supplies over 80 charitable organisations in the Western Cape.
About GCU
GCU was founded in 2001 by Mario van Niekerk, a person all too familiar with the challenges that face the youth of the gang-ridden Cape Flats in Cape Town. The organisation’s mission is to give the youth a chance by supporting an environment comprised of stable and healthy families, where children are guided and encouraged to achieve their dreams. GCU provides support to local youth through education; sports and life skills opportunities so that they can have a better opportunity in life.
About Woodstock Brewery
Inspired by the legendary concert in 1969, the Woodstock Brewery is one of South Africa’s first craft breweries producing world-class craft beer. The brewery is a key destination that caters to the local community as well as international tourists. Its beer hall is a place where people can come together, let their hair down and enjoy life to the fullest.
About Lumenlabs
Lumenlabs™️ is a global company dedicated to creating Filtered Far-UVC based solutions to continuously sanitize spaces where we live, work and play - safely and effectively creating a space for life to go on in the “new normal”.
For further details about Mother Soup please contact:
Adam Kane-Smith on +27 82 824 9667, adam@gcu.org.za
Andre Viljoen on +27 82 894 4990, andre@woodstockbrewery.co.za
Michael Eads on +27 79 079 6475, meads@lumenlabsafrica.com
|
|
|
|
