HOMELESS people joined top-ranking SAPS, Metro Police, faith leaders and community stakeholders in a very special blessing and bag-handover ceremony at the Denis Hurley Centre in the CBD on 5 June.
One-hundred distinctive blue Denis Hurley Centre back-packs were formally handover by the police to homeless men and women as the culmination of a process involving months of discussions between SAPS, Metro Police, representatives of the city’s homeless community and DHC staff.
Historically, the homeless have been in situations where their medication, personal documents and effects have been taken from them. The Denis Hurley Centre, in an effort to build relationships between law enforcement agencies and the city’s poor, has facilitated a process resulting in the creation of Protected Bags for the homeless. These blue, easily-identifiable branded bags, are for homeless people to keep their special and important possessions in which the police have promised not to tamper with or to remove from their person. Although the bags can of course be searched, they are protected.
DHC director, Raymond Perrier spoke about “grace-filled police officers” who showed great courage by engaging in this process. He applauded all stakeholders who listened and learned throughout, and are helping to build together a way of making our communities better.
Major General Victoria Mekute from SAPS spoke of being inspired by the Good Samaritan story in Luke’s Gospel. “Our neighbour – the person we are called to love – is the homeless person on the street, neglected by other people.”
During the formal handover, the police promised to respect the bags, and the homeless contingent promised not to abuse this privilege.
The first 100 bags were formally handed over to men and women on 5 June. The bags contain toiletries, a blanket and a space blanket. Recipients were invited to take a complimentary Bible or Koran as well.
The Denis Hurley Centre is legacy project honouring Archbishop Denis Hurley OMI who was the most significant Catholic leader in South Africa in the second half of the twentieth century. The new building in the inner city provides an enabling environment for care, education and community in one of the most diverse and challenging neighbourhoods of down-town Durban.
The process of distributing the bags can continue but is dependent upon funding to purchase additional bags and content, at about R300 per person. For more information, contact Raymond Perrier, Director of the Denis Hurley Centre on 031 301 2240 or raymond@denishurleycentre.org.
