The Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) have been working hard to help create awareness of nearby havens, centres and shelters that need support.
As we draw closer to the festive season, it is the perfect time of year to appreciate what we have by giving something back to the community. From purchasing your local shelter’s Christmas cake to volunteering your time at a hospice, there are plenty of ways to give back.
Where and how to give back
Support the The Western Cape Street Children Forum (WCSCF) with a financial donation
The WCSCF is a network of organisations working in partnership to create a coordinated, integrated and collaborative sector for children living, working or begging on the street and always acting in the best interest of the child (in accordance with the Constitution and Children’s Act 38 of 2005).
The WCSCF runs on a tight sustainable budget and every donation is carefully accounted for in our audited financial statements, as well as directly to the donor as required. Currently we are funded by The Provincial Department of Social Development Western Cape. Membership fees also help, but we still rely on one-time or monthly donations from businesses and members of the public. Please help us to keep children off the street and in care and protection by donating directly into our bank account.
To find out more, visit their website: https://www.wcscf.org/
Volunteer at the Tygerberg Hospice Trust
The Tygerberg Hospice provides holistic palliative care to patients facing a life-limiting illness. Apart from making sure that the patient is cared for in all areas – physical, spiritual, emotional and social – they also provide support for the families involved.
Tygerberg Hospice volunteers are a critical component of the hospice program. They are the “heart of hospice.” Volunteering at their hospice is a way to enrich your own life while enriching someone else’s life in your community.
There are a number of different volunteer opportunities to help them.
To find out more, visit their website: https://www.tygerberghospice.org
Add one item to your shopping cart to help support Mould, Empower and Serve (MES)
MES is a Christian integrated social development organisation that has been changing the heart of the city since 1986 and has been actively working towards providing sustainable solutions to pervasive poverty in the inner cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Kempton Park.
Every year between October and December, MES rolls-out its Packaged Love campaign which aim to gift most of our vulnerable and homeless communities. By adding just one item to your shopping list, you could help them continue to shape, empower, and serve their clients with gratitude, integrity, and respect for their dignity as marginalised people. Please contact a MES Branch closest to your heart and get involved with our Packaged Love campaign. Remember, the little you put in is what makes a huge difference.
To find out more, visit their website: www.mes.org.za
Buy a cake, donate a bed or volunteer at the Haven Night Shelter in Bellville
The Haven Night Shelter Welfare Organisation provides temporary shelter, physical care, social welfare and family re-unification services to adult homeless people in the Western Cape.
A gift of Cake, The Gift of Hope. Buy a delicious cake and fund our organisation. It is available locally at any shelter or online.
We started the “Buy a bed” campaign to make The Haven Shelters more accessible for people living on the streets. Most homeless people know that they have to pay shelter fees starting from R15 per night. These shelter fees are not a goal itself but more that homeless adults learn to take responsibility again. Sometimes homeless people use that as an excuse not to come to the shelter. With the “Buy a bed” campaign we encourage the community to cover their shelter fees for the first 5 nights and help us to be a sustainable organisation. The campaign is especially for a homeless person with no income. We have more than 2500 new clients per year. So your help is highly appreciated.
To be a Haven Night Shelter Volunteer is a fantastic opportunity to give some of your time, laughter, and energy back to the community. Our customers need to be reminded that we still care for them and that they have a place in society. While donations help keep the doors open it is the personal touch of our Volunteers that breathe new energy and life into our Shelters.
Volunteers have the right to meaningful tasks and your contribution will be directed to the greatest benefit of the Shelter. You can volunteer your skills and time at a specific Haven Shelter or at Head Office, depending on where we have the need.
To find out more, visit their website: https://www.haven.org.za/
Volunteering your time or donating to support a cause you are passionate about is something you will never regret. It will enrich your life, familiarise you with your community, and connect you to people and ideas that will positively impact your perspective for the rest of your life.
