Groupon is an online website that provides fantastic daily deals - at up to 70% discounts - on restaurants, leisure, spa, beauty and sport in numerous cities worldwide. The Groupon team strives to bring customers the best experience in their town at a low price.
In December 2011 Groupon (which is relatively new to South Africa) ran a charity feature to support FoodBank. This nationwide deal ran from Friday 16 December until Sunday 18 December. In terms of the deal, customers were asked to indirectly feed 12 hungry people by pledging R20, to be given to FoodBank. Groupon provided an carrot by offering R25 000 in Groupon credit to one lucky participant.
The response was phenomenal. FoodBank's Loretta Ntsuka, who had liaised with Groupon to arrange the deal, was ecstatic when it seemed that pledges were being added by the minute. In the end a total of 3 976 pledges were made in just one weekend. The result? A donation sufficient to allow us to distribute over 47 000 meals. It certainly made it a more festive season for many of our beneficiaries!
Groupon not only helped FoodBank to feed more people but also raised much-needed awareness of the work we do for the more than 1 000 Agencies we help.
On behalf of the hungry people we serve, FoodBank would like to thank Groupon and each and every person who participated in the event. Your imaginative help was invaluable!
