The purpose of World Homeless Day on 10 October is to draw attention to homeless people’s needs and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness.
The Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement Districts (GP/OKCID) work closely with the City and a number of NGOs on an on-going basis to ensure that homeless people have access to shelters and a support network. The GP/OKCID has also provided employment opportunities for a number of formerly homeless people. GP/OKCID CEO Marc Truss says: ‘These employees take pride in their work and have pride in themselves, and that is what we’re aiming for; to give them a hand up and not a hand out.”
The GP/OKCID also supports Straatwerk, a faith-based NGO, by utilising their services in and around our areas in conjunction with the City. For example they assist with clearing storm water drains, removing weeds from pavements, cutting grass in open public areas and trimming back trees.
Truss adds: “to achieve a sustainable solution to homelessness we need to work together to give people the chance to be reintegrated in to society and to support themselves going forward.” He urges all business owners and residents to back a registered charity or shelter on 10 October 2011 rather than giving money to people begging on the streets. This will ensure that the donation is used constructively to help homeless people rather than to fuel a drug or alcohol addiction for example.
The Haven Night Shelter Welfare Organisation (The Haven) on Napier Street is one of the many shelters in Green Point that welcomes local support. They provide temporary shelter, physical care, social welfare and family re-unification services to adult homeless people in Cape Town.
Their philosophy is that money should not be a barrier to entry, so they provide jobs such as gardening that homeless people can do for a minimum of two hours, earning R10 per hour. This gives them a roof over their heads (for R10 per person per night) and a bit of money in the pockets.
One of the key messages that The Haven would like to communicate to the public is to not give money to the homeless, and rather support their mission ‘to get the homeless to a home’. The Haven seeks practical donations and sponsorships from the public in the form of food, shoes and warm clothing.
An individual may become a Heart of The Haven by sponsoring a homeless person for R300 per month. The Haven will also find some form of employment for this homeless person. A monthly feedback report is given to the sponsor to let them know how the person is progressing. There are also two volunteer programmes which you can find out more about on their website: http://www.haven.org.za/
Other shelters within the GPCID area, include The Homestead, Salesians Institute and the Catholic Welfare and Development Organisation. Contact details for each of these organisations are available in the online GPCID Business Directory: http://gpcid.co.za/bizdirGP.asp
