Port Elizabeth - Gift of the Givers responded to a call for help from the Ekurhuleni disaster management team at 2am on Tuesday after a devastating fire at the Pomona Road Informal Settlement in Kempton Park, destroyed 200 informal dwellings and displacing nine hundred people.
"Gift of the Givers was received and thanked by executive mayor Mzwandile Masina at the disaster site," the organisation said in a statement.
"We have an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Ekhuruleni municipality and the national Ministry of Human Settlements that officially endorses Gift of the Givers as the agency recognised by government to receive cash and in-kind contributions from the public to support the victims of disasters."
The organisation distributed hot meals, hygiene packs, nappies, sanitary pads, blankets, fruit and bottled water.
Gift of the Givers has appealed to the public and to the private sector to assist with items for rebuilding the homes of those the fire has affected, including, roof sheeting, wooden poles, as well as food for parcels, new clothing, mattresses and eating utensils.
The persons to contact are Emily Thomas 083 652 0315 for onsite information and Badr Kazi 083 228 1298 for corporate contributions.
Gift of the Givers also has intervened this morning in Graaff Reinet, which has been hard hit by drought with its dams running dry.