OUTsurance and Genesis Nutritional Products join forces to fight hunger

SHSAO is our very own CSI (Corporate Social Investment) initiative. It's geared towards helping the communities around us. OUTsurance staff members are given the opportunity to nominate projects close to their hearts, volunteer and make financial donations to the chosen SHSAO projects. For every financial donation received, OUTsurance donates the equivalent amount 'Rand-for-Rand’.

‘Lending a helping hand for those in need has always been close to our hearts’, says Eunice McGill, Events and Activations Manager at OUTsurance. Month after month, we put our money where our mouths are and roll up our sleeves to help the communities around us. So, collaborating with Genesis Nutritional Products was a no-brainer.

‘Genesis makes a range of food and drinks that are scientifically formulated for people in extreme conditions and are in need of nourishment. All their products are made with uniquely patented and clinically tested ingredients. These ingredients provide all 55 key nutrients needed for the body to function well. If you’d like to know more about Genesis, visit their website on genesisnutrition.co.za to read up on their products.’

CEO of Genesis Nutritional Products, Michelle Bristow, echoes McGill’s sentiment. ‘Living in South Africa, we often see the poverty and after spending many years in corporate, I decided it was really time to create something we can be proud of that will become a solution for a challenge our people face.’

In South Africa, access to food is considered a basic and fundamental human right according to sections 27 and 28 of the Constitution, yet many South Africans are facing food insecurity, more so in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many households lost some to most of their income which then led to growing numbers of food insecurity. According to Statistics South Africa, almost 23,6% of South Africans were affected by moderate to severe food insecurity in 2020, while almost 14,9% experienced severe food insecurity during the height of the pandemic.

Project Beneficiaries

We’ve worked closely with organisations such as Gift of the Givers, the CHOC Foundation, and Little Brinks to deliver nutritional meals to the following organisations:

1. National Council of and for Persons With Disabilities

The National Council of Persons with Disabilities is an organisation that enables, supports and enhances the quality of life for persons living with disabilities. They make sure that persons with disabilities attain their full rights as citizens of the country. We donated towards the nutritional meals and they made sure to distribute them accordingly.

2. SOS Children’s Villages

We ensured full stomachs for the children at SOS Children’s Villages by proving nutritional meals. SOS provides care for children without adequate parental care through family-like villages, family strengthening programmes and community service centres on a long term basis so that they can become strong and vibrant.

3. Dare To Love

We showed some love to the Dare to Love movement by providing a donation that guarantees a meal. Dare To Love is a movement that demonstrates true transforming love by going out and touching people’s lives in a practical, life changing way. They offer parent and teacher love language workshops on working with children between the ages of 0-12 years, based on material from various world-renowned authors.

4. Paediatric Care Africa

We partnered with Paediatric Care Africa to distribute nutritionally balanced meals from Genesis Nutritional Products. We also provided baby essentials (blankets and food) to children. Their mission is to improve the health of vulnerable children around South Africa by giving them access to good quality healthcare services.

5. The Ark City of Refuge

We provided meals to The Ark City of Refuge to help them feed homeless people in need. The Ark opened its doors in 1992 in response to the extremely high rate of homelessness and unemployment in the Western Cape. They provide a temporary home for disadvantaged persons including those who are homeless, abandoned, abused and unemployed. Their aim is to restore the dignity of those they assist so that they can live up to their potential and integrate back into their communities and the society at large. 

6. Vita Nova Residential Home

We provided meals for the young and old at Vita Nova Residential Home. The Vita Nova centre is a residential facility in Springs, catering for persons with Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and the physically and mentally challenged. Some of their residents are uneducable, meaning they will not be able to be educated in order to stand on their own feet. So, Vita Nova is their only home.

7. Hannah Charity and Empowerment foundation

We asked the foundation to assist us in distributing non-perishable food items to an underprivileged community in Wolmer. The Hanna Charity and Empowerment Foundation’s mission is to provide personal attention and direct benefits to the youth and the ageing. They provide personal attention and care to children, the youth and the ageing so that they can live a dignified life and be able to integrate into society.

As a result of the resounding success of this partnership, SHSAO will continue working with Genesis Nutritional Products in the new financial year FY22/FY23 to make a difference in the lives of those who are in need of healthy and nutritious food.

Have a look at the other Staff Helping SA OUT projects we have embarked on in recent years.