Cities across South Africa once again opened their hearts to the annual Winter HOPE drive in June. As the drive enters its final week, people are, however, reminded that there is still time to make a difference to those facing the demands of a cold winter.
“We are yet again astounded at the amount of goodwill and sense of community that is being created by something as simple as the freezing cold,” says Winter HOPE national campaign manager Duane Edwards.
“We are extremely thankful for the donations we have received so far. It shows the people of South Africa have caring hearts. I want to encourage fellow South Africans to support us with the last week of the campaign, as it will assist us to make hope a reality for the less privileged,” Edwards says. A great need still exists for blankets, non-perishable food items and warm clothing.
The campaign kicked off on 1 June, and have since collected 1632 blankets, 1477 grocery bags of clothing, 428 grocery bags of food, and 414 beanies. In addition, shelter* has been provided to 3615 people (*totals based on the bed occupancy per night).
The 19th national Winter HOPE campaign is hosted by Mould Empower Serve (MES), PEN (Participate Empower Navigate), Denis Hurley Centre and Towers of Hope, in collaboration with various churches and social upliftment organisations. It involves the public in a nationwide drive to collect certain key items, in an attempt to make the colder months more bearable for those in need.
Collection points have been setup in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein, as well as smaller towns. Cash donations are welcome and 18A tax benefit certificates can be issued as required. Cash donations are also welcome and can be made by either Snapscan, EFT or PayFast through the Winter HOPE website (www.winterhoop.org), or directly into the following account:
Winterhoop
ABSA, 632005
Savings account
906 892 5251
For more information about the specific needs of the campaign and the various drop-off points, visit Facebook (@winterhoop); Instagram (@give_hope_in_winter), or contact Aloma Swanepoel at winterhoop@mes.org.za or on 011 725 0001.
