Tokai Lions support elderly residents as part of Hunger Awareness Month

The Lions Club of Tokai has marked the start of the year with a donation of bread to residents of Ryberg Terrace Old Age Home in Hanover Park, as part of Lions International’s annual Hunger Awareness Month.

While January is traditionally observed as Hunger Month, Lions clubs worldwide this year focused their efforts during Global Hunger Awareness Week, which ran from Saturday, January 3, to Sunday, January 11.

Mark Rossouw of the Tokai Lions said the club decided to heed this call.

“As a club, we decided to heed this call, and on Saturday, January 10, we donated bread to the residents of the Ryberg Terrace Old Age Home in Hanover Park,” he said.

Mr Rossouw highlighted the urgency of the issue.

“The world is currently facing a severe hunger crisis, with hundreds of millions of people experiencing acute food insecurity and millions facing starvation and famine. South Africa is not spared from this crisis either. It is estimated that 15 million people struggle with food security in South Africa, and the hardest hit are children and the elderly.”

He said Lions clubs in South Africa are consistently at the forefront of addressing hunger.

“The Lions Club of Tokai always heed the call, and we are always willing to contribute and collaborate to stem the tide of hunger,” Mr Rossouw said.

Lions International encourages clubs around the world to organise food drives, community feeding events and donations to help those in need, and to raise awareness of hunger and food insecurity in their communities.