Pretoria charities urge help as winter increases hunger and blanket needs

As winter temperatures fall, community groups in Pretoria are calling for donations of food, blankets and clothing to help people living on the streets and vulnerable families.

Daily feeding in Danville stretched by winter demand

Geseënde Hande, a non-profit based in Danville in west Pretoria, has been feeding the local community every day for years. According to The Citizen, the organisation feeds 500 to 600 people daily and uses up to 15kg of rice per meal and about 10 to 20kg of meat.

According to The Citizen, Bella Prins and her partners started the NPO 17 years ago and have been feeding the Danville community seven days a week.

Prins told The Citizen that winter increases demand because people eat more to stay warm. She said they aim to serve hot meals such as stews and soup during the cold months, while in summer they serve macaroni and cheese with salads. According to The Citizen, the organisation does not always have enough blankets or clothes for adults, and Prins said they try to focus on children and the elderly but there are many people in need in the community.

Street vulnerability and outreach in Sunnyside

Lieutenant-Colonel Dineo Sekgotodi, speaking for the medical and community chaplain, said the vulnerability on the streets was worsening and that it is cold and people are struggling to find food. She told reporters that her team feeds up to 80 homeless people weekly in Sunnyside.

Sekgotodi described a recent effort to return homeless people staying in front of the Pretoria Central police station to the Kotze Street shelter in Johannesburg. She said they travelled safely, were warmly welcomed on arrival, bathed after not showering for a long time, were given new clothes and a special meal, and that some had stayed on the streets for more than 20 years.

Calls for community support

Both organisations are urging local residents and groups to support feeding projects and donate blankets and clothing to ease the winter burden on the city’s most vulnerable.

“The need just continues to grow, especially during winter. People eat more during the winter to stay warm.” Bella Prins

Readers who wish to help are encouraged to contact the organisations mentioned to learn how to donate or volunteer.