‘Tough men with big hearts’: Bikers lend hand to fight hunger

“TOUGH men with big hearts.”

This is how members of the community and a non-profit organisation dedicated to “making a difference” described the members of CC Riders Kimberley.

This after they rolled up their sleeves and loaded gem squashes onto a 10-ton truck to distribute to the needy.

The biker group brought much relief and smiles to community members when they handed over bags filled with the squashes.

The group's chairperson, Mike Muller, said they collected the gem squashes from a donor in Petrusburg and they were elated that this donation made a big difference in the lives of needy Kimberlites.

"We received a call from one of our CC Riders Bloemfontein members who told us that they received a donation of gem squash from a local farmer in the Petrusburg area. We arranged with the vice-chairperson of our club, who owns a truck, to collect the gem squash.

“We provided the diesel for the truck, which then distributed the donation to schools in Kimberley, local non-profit organisations (NPOs), several soup kitchens in the city and the general public," said Muller.

He added that his organisation now envisages that this initiative will grow.

"The moment one starts such initiatives, it opens the door for others to follow. Through this initiative, we aim to get the message on the mission of the CC Riders out to the public and hopefully more sponsors will come on board with the same type of donations. We will then distribute whatever the donation might be to the community members who are in need.

“We managed to get this 10-ton truck donation, which was filled to the brim, out to the relevant beneficiaries. One could see that there is an urgent need to fight hunger in our community.”

Muller said the biker group aims to make a difference in several communities.

"We do not want to focus on only certain organisations, but want to give a hand to those people who might have nothing to eat each day.

“We have realised that this initiative requires input and donations from various sponsors. We have made a pledge to sacrifice our time and energy to assist in this plight. If anyone wants to make a donation and join in this initiative with the CC Riders, they can contact me on 083 633 9038. We will make the necessary arrangements if there is something that should be collected or communicate with donors if they have something they want to drop off.

“The need is great out there and people are immensely grateful for every little bit of food they are able to get.”

The owner of a soup kitchen in Santa Square was elated about the donation.

"I run a soup kitchen where I feed children every Friday after school.I have seen the challenges that some community members in my area face when it comes to putting food on the table. Many parents of the children I feed are unemployed and have no income. The children then go to bed hungry,” she said.

“The only reason I am able to feed the children on a Friday is because of donations such as the one we managed to get from CC Riders, as we are not registered with the Department of Social Development.

“The reason we are not registered with the department, is because of the paperwork that is just too complicated for someone like me. Also, the department requires an NPO to have a board and the board must hand in financial statements to the department as well as to Sars. I have no knowledge on how to fill in or even submit this paperwork. I heard that some things one also has to do on the internet.

“I then realised that I could not sit back and watch my community and innocent children suffer while I was trying to figure out the registration process. I am now totally reliant on donations from family, friends and other people who know of the work I do.

“I know there are many more organisations like myself, who have decided to help their community regardless of whether they are registered or not.

“Many donors want to see the registration paperwork of the organisation before they make a donation, but they do not understand the process and reasons why many of us are not registered. We hope that people like CC Riders will continue to reach out to people like us, as it makes a huge difference in the lives of the people we are feeding.”