SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - For some people, winter is a time for hearty stews and cosy evenings in front of a fireplace, but for the homeless it has a totally different meaning. For them it is a harsh season characterised by a constant battle against the cold and hunger.
To make winter a little easier for these people, Fight for Friends Foundation is reaching out during June with two initiatives focused on people who have nothing.
Spokesperson Sors Grobbelaar says their campaign, based on a successful project in KwaZulu-Natal, is called 'Hand for the Homeless'. "We want to make up a basic personal kit for 30 people in every town in the Garden Route, focusing on Knysna, Sedgefield, George, Mossel Bay, Still Bay, Riversdale and Oudtshoorn. If we can help more than 30 people per town, it will be a bonus."
The foundation is asking the public to donate 30 of each of the following items (the clothing does not have to be new):
- Jackets/jerseys l Long pants
- Shirts l Beanies
- Pairs of socks l Gloves
- Scarves l Blankets
- Deodorants l Can openers
- Back packs/tog bags to put all the goods in
- 120 tins of food so as to give each person at least four cans.
"This is what we would like to get together per town. Please help us do something for those who fight the elements every day while we have the warmth and comfort of our homes," says Sors.
Knysna: Zane Henley Stott 073 053 2186, Sedgefield: Chantel Norris 079 801 4793, George: Sors Grobbelaar 082 589 1763, Mossel Bay: Phillip Goodger 083 575 7571,
Riversdale / Still Bay: Riaan Gelderblom
082 686 9928, Oudtshoorn: still looking for someone to assist.
Along with the Hand for the Homeless campaign, the foundation will also run a Macaroni Marathon to collect as much pasta as possible to give to the George Night Shelter and other safe havens to help them with feeding schemes over the winter.
"Pasta is a starch that can be stretched to fill lots of bellies and can accompany most proteins to help many hungry people out there," says Sors.
"One pack of spaghetti/macaroni costs about R10 and can feed six to eight people easily. So R100 equals 10 packets and 60-80 people fed. We really hope we can hand over pasta that will last the whole winter."
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