GMSA employees pack meals for Mandela Day

This is the second year that GMSA employees packed meals for the humanitarian relief organisation, Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa (SHN SA).

This year 180 employees packed a total of 20 088 meals in Port Elizabeth. Their counterparts from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban participated in the same meal packing initiative in their respective cities.

General Motors employees in high spirits during their 67 minutes on Mandela Day

GMSA employees in Port Elizabeth were joined by players of the Eastern Province Kings, Mrs Port Elizabeth Lienkie Niewoudt, Miss Port Elizabeth Shannon Hutton, employees at The Herald and Die Burger newspaper houses, Bay FM Community Radio and the Community Chest.

Each team had 20 volunteers per session, including a team leader who managed the production line. Each line packed 10 boxes per line in the allocated time.
Teams were measured on quality, speed, neatness, safety and efficiency when they packed the boxes that contains non-perishable nutritional food. Each packet of food feeds six people.

Volunteers and VIP guests also nominated a charity of their choice as beneficiaries of the meals.

GMSA Public Relations Officer, Thanusha Pillay said their focus is on sustainable projects that can make a difference in the community.

"It is important for us as a company to involve our employees in our Corporate Social Investment projects and lend a helping hand as we strive to improve the lives and conditions of the people in our community," Pillay said.

Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa (SHN SA) is a volunteer based meal packaging and results oriented nutrition programme, which was started in South Africa in 2009.
SHN SA depend on passionate, active volunteers for meal packaging events and food distribution. The focus is on reaching the most vulnerable hungry: children, specifically those who attend pre-schools, or Early Childhood Development (ECDs).