Local non-profit organisation U-Turn wants to use World Homeless Day on October 10 to debunk myths about homelessness, shift public perception and highlight ways to get involved.
The organisation said about 7 500 people sleep rough in Cape Town. U-Turn will run a workshop for formerly homeless “life change” champions on the day.
The NPO recently conducted a public survey on how residents could better respond to homelessness. About 400 people completed the survey.
According to their data collection, more than 80% of respondents felt homelessness impacted on businesses, neighbourhoods and the larger community.
The survey highlighted a shift in how the public felt about homelessness and a growing awareness that a systemic solution was desperately needed to turn the tide.
“After partnering with a community-based theatre business, Circle Productions, and leadership training company Tall Trees, the workshop aims to grow the champions’ leadership skills, to equip them with tools to speak confidently in public and find their voice,” said the organisation.
With seasons changing, U-Turn is inviting the public to drop-off unused and old clothing to help them achieve their goal of collecting more than 4 500kg of clothing in their 5-ton drive before World Homeless Day.
Some of the donated clothing is used in the U-Turn voucher programme where homeless people can exchange a U-turn voucher for clothing and some clothing is sent to U-turn charity stores for sale.
The stores are an integral part of the U-turn skills development and work-based training programme.
Donors can drop-off unused clothing and meet the U-Turn team at Constantia Village Mall between 9am and 5pm on Saturday October 6. U-Turn will host World Homeless Day from 8am to 5pm at Callum House in Kenilworth.