Mandela Month: Department joins hands with hotel to donate

The Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) today continued the campaign to honour the memory of Nelson Mandela this Mandela Month.

In partnership with international hotel group, Cape Grace, the department donated food items, clothing, sanitary ware, and blankets to the Haven Night Shelters in District 6, and Greenpoint.

The department, through its Community & Partnerships Directorate, places great emphasis on supporting registered shelter services. DSD funds the services of 23 shelters across the province.

Shelters play a crucial function in supporting people living on the streets with not only day-to-day struggles, such as food, shelter and tackling addiction to substances, but most importantly work to reintegrating people back into their families and communities.

The Haven Night Shelters operate 14 shelters across the province, to which DSD provides funding for 13, including the 2 shelters visited today as part of the donation drive.

Shelter services play an invaluable service in helping people on the street to tackle their addiction to drugs and alcohol, find economic opportunities, and establish their lives as adults and with their families. DSD heard testimony to the effectiveness of the Night Haven shelter from one of the women at the shelter, who told her story of beating addiction, and was working to be reunited with her family.

As we continue to commemorate Mandela Month, DSD is calling on residents of the Western Cape to give responsibly, and donate money and volunteer time at registered shelters across the province. People can call the DSD hotline on 0800 220 250 to find out which registered shelters are closest to them.