Helping Hands: Supporting Unhoused Citizens This Winter in Cape Town
By Georgina Wraith and Tegan Gibaud
As Jon Snow famously said, winter is coming. While we may rejoice at the fact that we can bring out our winter fashion and spend some cozy time drinking tea, this is not the case for all of South Africa. Winter weather brings danger to those who are left underserved and unhoused. Research shows that homeless people have higher mortality rates compared to housed people. This applies especially in winter, as homeless people often pass away due to exposure.
It is important that we leverage what we have access to in order to uplift and support our community. As students, monetary donations are not always an option, and there is often uncertainty about who to support, as there seem to be hundreds of organisations accepting donations. To help you get involved this winter season, we have compiled a list of reputable grassroots organisations that are doing impactful work.
Obs Can Feed You
Obs Can Feed You gathers every Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am to 9:30am at Trenchtown in Observatory to make sandwiches and oatmeal for the unhoused community. This food is then served at the Village Green. They often serve upwards of 50 people. All volunteers are welcome at any time, with no RSVP needed. Volunteers simply show up and are guided on how to help.
Obs Pasta Kitchen
Observatory also has a pasta kitchen that operates every Wednesday in Bedford Street from 4:30pm to 6:00pm for dinner service. The service starts with a guided meditation at 5:00pm, followed by volunteers serving food and engaging in conversation, ultimately helping to create an inclusive and stress-free environment. There is no need to RSVP—just show up on the day.
The Haven Night Shelter
The Haven Night Shelter is a welfare organisation focused on providing temporary shelter, care, welfare, and reunification services to unhoused individuals. One can volunteer with them at a specific shelter or at the Head Office. Contact them via this form to sign up for volunteering.
U-Turn Homeless Ministries
U-Turn Homeless Ministries is a well-known initiative that helps bring people out of the cycle of homelessness and poverty in South Africa. It works primarily through skills-based programmes that upskill individuals and help them find jobs. U-Turn offers various volunteering opportunities based on your personal skillset, whether that be as church or school ambassadors, content creators, graphic designers, and more. You can sign up on their website. Speaking of ministries, you can also ask your local place of worship where they are involved and ask to help there.
City of Cape Town Volunteering
The City of Cape Town accepts volunteers in many different sectors and compiled a very helpful list of volunteering opportunities. You can work in disaster relief and risk management, which is increasingly needed as the stormy season arrives. Otherwise, you can help with feeding schemes or facilitate activities for young children.
ForGood.co.za
If any of the previous examples were not suited to your skillset or your area, you can find volunteering opportunities at ForGood.co.za. ForGood is a reputable website that serves as a platform for organisations to put their causes out there and specify what skills they need. All you do is create an account, pop your location into the search bar, and find a cause that you can help with. You can then let an organisation know that you are interested, and they should contact you to arrange times.