Good Samaritan, Freddie Kruger, has been a resident of Bellair for the last 46 years and has, over the years, become popular and well-known, not only for his name but for the work that he does in helping residents in need.
In March 2020, Kruger and his wife, Amy, saw the need to give back to their community during a time when the country was placed under hard lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic which swept through families and homes leaving many hungry and in need of support. What started with just handing out loaves of bread soon turned into a soup kitchen and later into a fully-fledged food drive for the couple. By seeing the desperate need for an intervention, the Krugers decided to take funds out of their own pockets to prepare hot meals to distribute to those who were less fortunate. Seeing the good that the couple was doing for their community, this got them the attention of some really proud sponsors for their cause. “Amy and I saw the need to help our people. During the hard lockdown in March 2020, so many families had to go hungry. When we decided to start our feeding scheme, we had no idea how far we would come, how many people we would have served and how many lives we would change,” Kruger said. As the feeding scheme grew in size, more and more people began to line up at each feeding spot to get a share of their food parcels which were prepared by the Krugers at their residence. “If memory serves me, it was three days into hard lockdown when my wife and I went to get a loaf of bread from a local shop. As I walked into the shop, the shop owner tossed out a piece of bread for the birds. Little did I realise that what I would witness next would change the way I saw life. As the man tossed the bread out onto the pavement, a group of people ran towards the bread to get their share. It was the most heart-breaking sight we have ever had to witness.”
Kruger said it was at that point that he knew he had to do something for the hungry people in the community. He called on the assistance of family and friends and together they prepared the first of many hot meals to distribute to the community. “Within a matter of a week we were able to feed over 150 people at each food drive. The response that we received was overwhelming. Families came from around the community to get their share of a hot meal. If we had leftovers, my wife and I would drive around handing out the remainder of the food parcels to whoever needed a meal. We have never had to take food back home because we always made sure that we could reach out to as many mouths as possible,” said Kruger. Out of this desperate need to help, the non-profit organisation called ‘Saving Our People Charity Fund’ was born. “We had no idea that so many people would come on board and offer their assistance. From sponsors of groceries to volunteers, our organisation has been able to provide thousands of meals to the public to date,” he said. A security guard, who has been with the couple throughout lockdown, said: “Freddy is a good man. When people they knew had no transport to come and collect their meals, he would drive to each home and deliver their meals to them. Being an essential worker, we had no work at the time, and it was Freddy that provided for my family and I for days. Had it not been for these wonderful people, things could have been very bad for us.”
Apart from devoting his spare time to his feeding scheme, Kruger also works in construction and has recently started a skills development programme for the unemployed. Kruger said he selects a few young, aspiring people from the community who have some form of skill in construction which he helps to develop so that they are able to find suitable work using this skill. “This year, we have been able to develop the skills of eight aspiring young men. Once a candidate joins me, I teach them as we go along and once he is ready, I will then provide him with the very same tools that they have used to take away with them so that they have a start in life and can go on to be successful skilled labourers,” said Kruger. “Amy and I are always looking for new ways to make a difference to the community. We are appealing to anyone who would like to impart some of their knowledge and skills in arts and crafts, sewing and knitting to please contact our organisation. We would like to be able to provide a wide variety of skills development to as many unemployed people as we can. By teaching a person a skill, we are giving them a way of supporting themselves,” added Kruger. For more information on Saving Our People Charity Fund, or for sponsorships and donations, kindly contact Freddie Kruger on 067-677-7158.
