MUNICIPALITY’S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GIVES TO THE NEEDY FOLLOWING FIRES AND FLOODS
From left to right: Ross Hannes (Registry Clerk: Transport), Sophie Fanelo (Manager: Community Development), Harriet Van Schalkwyk (Environmental Officer), Leigh Kelly (Environmental Officer) and Sheldon Hendricks (Environmental Intern).
The George Municipality’s Community Development Services division assisted the victims of sporadic residential fire incidents and individual flooding incidents in their properties by providing them with food, clothing, blankets, and matrasses. They also opened their hearts to the People Living on the streets with clothes and toiletries.
The Municipality would also like to acknowledge the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs for the donation of clothing to the Municipality clothing bank. The officials continue to appeal to the community to donate to the Municipality as Municipality relies on donations to assist needy communities. “We cannot overemphasize the importance of these donations being given to organisations such as the George Night Shelter or Kidstop than giving money or handouts to adults or children begging at streets intersections, as this has increasingly become a concern,” said Sophie Fanelo, the George Municipality’s Manager for Community Development.
George Municipality continues to provide clothing and toiletries to persons living on the street. The toiletries include soap, facecloths, toothpaste, toothbrushes, roll-on and sanitary pads. The municipality maintains a clothing bank where residents of George donate clothing for this purpose. Many of the homeless ask for clothing or toiletries to be presentable and a register is kept for this purpose. It would assist the Municipality if more residents could donate clothing and toiletries as no funding is available for this purpose.
Living on the streets is not a crime; therefore, these people cannot be arrested or moved without their consent. Our Social Development and Law Enforcement department’s mandate is limited as the bulk of the functions to assist people living on the streets fall under SAPS and the National Department of Social Development.
George Residents, Business Owners and organisations, who want to help the homeless and /or submit innovative ideas on how to help the homeless, are invited to join the PLOTS monthly meeting. You can contact Estelle Fredericks on 044 802 2000, ext. 2015 during office hours for more information.
The public may also contact these organisations: Freddy Trout, PASA (People Against Substance Abuse) at 068 487 4848, Jonathan Gelderbloem, YFC Kidstop at 044 874 2624/044 875 1794, Department of Social Services at 044 814 1920 or Andre Olivier from Cremhog on andre.olivier1962@gmail.com