Journey’s End launches new foundation

Stellenbosch-based winery Journey’s End has launched a new foundation to help tackle hunger and poverty in the local area, that have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Set up as an NGO, the Foundation has set up a network of soup kitchens in the Helderberg Region and has committed to providing 8,000 meals a week for 52 weeks, with the aim of providing 10,000 meals per week by the end of October this year.

In setting up the Foundation, Journey’s End worked closely with Hettie Orffer, CEO of the ‘Beat the Bully’ programme, another Journey’s End-funded initiative designed to eradicate bullying in Cape townships.

Rollo Gabb, managing director of Journey’s End, said: “The South African economy continues to be very badly affected by Covid 19, with the Western Cape in particular hit by zero tourism and close to zero hospitality. This coupled with a recent ban on domestic wine sales has severely impacted the wine industry, and a 9pm curfew is killing the restaurant sector, leading to a very significant increase in unemployment.

“With very little government support many families are now unable to bring any food to the table and starvation in the Cape is a real risk. It has been reported that some 20,000 people in Stellenbosch alone are at risk of hunger.

“We completed the set-up of the Journey’s End Foundation earlier this month realising we needed to move fast. Journey’s End has committed funds to provide food for just over 400,000 meals through a network of nine Soup Kitchens over the coming 12 months. The Journey’s End team is working to develop this network to facilitate 10,000 meals per week by the end of October.”