Giving the gift of hope to the Cape Town Central City’s homeless community amidst a ravaging pandemic and harsh winter conditions is the main aim of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District’s Hope for the Homeless fundraising campaign, launched Monday, 03 August 2020.
The campaign is part of the CCID’s annual Show You Care initiative which, through the generous support of members of the public, once again aims to raise R100 000 for the hundreds of homeless people who live in the CBD. Last year the campaign raised over R85 000.
Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the CCID, says Hope for the Homeless is part of the CCID’s long standing commitment to support homeless individuals, “We have the largest homeless population in the Cape Town Metro (over 700 people) and this impacts on everything that we do. The aim of the campaign is to create awareness and support for the work done by the CCID Social Development department’s social and field workers who interact with the CBD homeless community every single day, as well as to highlight the stellar work done by our six main NGO partners, with whom we work very closely to collectively assist the homeless and to give them hope for the future.”
Largely social media driven, with poignant video and still footage from filmmaker Chad Nathan (@gingerwithagopro), the campaign will shine a spotlight on the Cape Town city centre’s homeless individuals, sharing their stories to evoke powerful moments of connectedness and humanity.
Pat Eddy, CCID Social Development department manager, says the campaign is perfectly timed, “Our homeless population is currently living on cold, wet streets. The Covid-19 pandemic is also particularly challenging to this community, who are possibly even more vulnerable than the general population. Hopefully, this campaign will make more of us reflect on our personal comforts and how we can make a difference to others. Please consider donating if you can. Collectively, we can change lives.”
Evangelinos says the campaign also aims to unite all stakeholders to work together to have maximum impact. “Together, we can move the needle,” he says.
The campaign will raise R100 000 for these six CCID NGO partners:
- Straatwerk, which focuses on rehabilitation programmes for people who are not yet able to act productively and responsibly
- The Hope Exchange, which provides the homeless with basic services so they can face the world with dignity
- Ons Plek, which offers a safe, developmental space for girls who have lived, worked or begged on Cape Town’s streets
- The Homestead, which is a healing environment for street children
- Youth Solutions Africa, which has multiple projects from a night shelter and feeding scheme to youth development
- Khulisa Social Solutions, which addresses systemic societal issues to effect lasting positive change
To donate to the campaign, visit showyoucare.co.za. You can also donate winter clothes, shoes, bedding and non-perishables by dropping the items in one of 20 branded wheelie bins which will soon be rolled out in key CBD building foyers.
For more information and updates, follow the CCID on Instagram (@capetownccid) and Facebook (@CapeTownCCID), or visit CapeTownCCID.org.
