Liberty

Liberty's #DriveHope charity was first intended for employees to nominate their colleagues and communities who were struggling, to receive a small boost to keep going. However, as the pandemic escalated, the need to support other South Africans became more apparent as Liberty worked more closely with communities near and dear to their staff.

In a country where the cost-of-living is increasing and job losses are continuing, now more than ever is the time to recommit to the joys of giving. South Africans are inherently generous, but research has shown that the global pandemic has heightened this sense of giving. Earlier this year, the World Giving Index revealed that SA had moved up to 21 out of 114 countries ranked in terms of generosity, with South Africans becoming more charitable in the face of a worldwide health crisis. Psychological studies for the past few decades have shown that giving is good for mental health, with one 2013 study linking the relationship between happiness and generosity.

DriveHope's expansion started with the understanding that passionate and caring individuals who are generously helping others need support to make a meaningful impact on their communities. Liberty understood its role in enabling these extraordinary South Africans, placing #DriveHope at the forefront of its Corporate Citizenship efforts.

The platform was opened to the public to nominate anyone who needed help in the midst of the global health crisis. The media and communities got involved to ensure solutions were making their way to deserving South Africans. Since it began in early 2020, #DriveHope has paid out over R1.6 million in charitable 'random acts of kindness' across the country.

The platform functions on a nomination system, where anyone can contact Liberty to nominate friends, family, or members of their community in need. Earlier this year, Liberty reported that it had already assisted more than 5000 nominees, through financial assistance, care-packages, food parcels, school supplies and other essentials.

Recently, to help raise more than 30 000 meals in aid of food security in partnership with SA Harvest, Liberty and its financial adviser force came together to pledge R272,000 towards Meals for Deals and raised an additional R150,000 with the help of consumers through policy commitments. Though the aim was to raise enough funding for 30 000 meals, Liberty and SA Harvest exceeded this ambition more than threefold, raising money for 136 000 meals.

Liberty is already planning its 2022 #DriveHope agenda, in which it hopes to reach further, give more, and continue to change lives for the better. Click here to find out more about DriveHope.