Local businesses and residents in Tshwane have been urged to open their hearts and donate food items to non-profit organisations (NPO) that are on the brink of running out of funds to feed the poor.
MMC for Community and Social Development Services, Nasiphi Moya, said the dilemma faced by city-based organisations was due to delayed payments of grants by Gauteng Department of Social Development.
In a bid to assist the stranded centres catering for the homeless, Moya pleaded with businesses and residents to donate food items for critical homeless shelters.
People are asked for donations of food and other necessary items to help homeless shelters operating in Tshwane.
Items that can be donated include bottled water, soup, tea bags, soya mince, cooking oil, powder milk, canned beans, samp, canned pilchards, soap bars, maize meal, aluminium cups, canned beef and rice.
Moya said: “It has come to the City’s attention that several organisations operating in Tshwane that serve our homeless population are experiencing delays in receiving provincial grants.”
The delays of payments, she said, have been linked to a change in the administration of grants by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
“This has led to delayed payments, which will result in many organisations crippled within weeks as funding runs out. In a meeting my office chaired last week, that was attended by Gauteng Department of Social Development officials, it came to our attention that there are about eight homeless shelter organisations operating in the Tshwane region,” she said.
She said only six of these NPOs have had access to funding, while others languish to scrape by to continue their efforts at feeding the homeless.
“The University of Pretoria’s Unit for Street Homelessness detailed to the City the dire strain experienced by these NPOs. There was an overwhelming need for food items that could help the NPOs weather the financial storm,” Moya said.
She added that the City created the Tshwane Food Bank in 2010 operating under her department with a small budget.
“The City has heard the plight of stranded centres that cater for the homeless, but with our limited budget we cannot possibly fill the gap left by yet-to-be-paid Gauteng grants," she said.
Moya asked the business chambers operating in Tshwane to lend a hand in helping and donate food items for homeless shelters feeding Tshwane’s homeless population while they wait for the provincial grants.
Food items can be donated directly to the Tshwane Food Bank located at 450 President Burgers Street, Pretoria.
Pretoria News