East Coast Radio's 2005 'Toy Story' initiative to assist people caught up in KZN's HIV/AIDS crisis kicked off in October and to date 7500 food parcels have been packaged, each feeding a family of four for a month, as individuals, organizations and companies band together in a remarkable outreach.
"Our telephone lines have been inundated with emails, faxes, calls and donations. 'Toy Story' has already distributed the first of 5000 food parcels that have been generously donated by campaign partner Gift of the Givers. Vector Logistics, a specialist food distribution and logistic company, has pledged its support to the campaign and will be transporting the parcels - amounting to well over 400 tons - from Gift of The Givers in Pietermaritzburg to the local distribution points in Durban, where volunteers from Independent Newspapers and Durban Deliveries will start the distribution," explained Dawn Spencer, PRO for East Coast Radio.
In partnership with Gift of the Givers, East Coast Radio have set their campaign target at 10 000 parcels for the period leading up to 23 December 2005. Each parcel contains mealie meal and other basic foodstuffs, soup powder and soap - and the correct number of age-specific, wrapped, new toys for each child in the affected household.
'Toy Story' also collects and distributes new toys to all KZN government hospitals. The 2005 campaign goal for the collection of new toys is anything over last year's count of 45 000 toys.
The alarming statistics in KZN spell a silent cry of despair for families burdened by HIV/AIDS. The Department of Social Welfare and Population Development has estimated a total of 7456 child-headed households nationally, 4570 of them in KZN alone. Malnutrition and slow starvation is a reality in these households, and is the driving force behind East Coast Radio's initiative.
"The manner in which 'Toy Story' has been embraced by the public, schools and corporate companies has been inspiring ... We would like to say a heartfelt 'thank you' to the KZN Dept of Health, Vodacom, Rotary, Durban Deliveries and Independent Newspapers, who continue to put their time and energy into the campaign," said Dawn. "We have reached 7700 food parcels in total ... We still have 2300 food parcels to go!"
Contact 'Toy Story' on 0800 786 777
