Blanket collection drive surpasses target
Blankets collected by the Parkview Community Blanket Drive provide warmth to beneficiaries in other provinces too.
The 2022 Parkview Community Blanket Drive committee set out to collect 1 500 blankets. The organising committee confirmed that 1 602 blankets have been pledged.
This is thanks to generous contributions from individual donors, the congregation of St Columba’s Presbyterian Church, the residents of Parkview (through the Parkview Residents Association (PRA)) and Morningside Rotary.
These blanket collections were for organisations bringing warmth, food, and shelter to those on the street and to those impacted by the floods in KwaZulu-Natal.
Project organiser Geoff van Heerden said this is a record and beats the 1 480 blankets collected last year.
“A total of 750 blankets have already been distributed to the beneficiaries identified by the organising committee, which is made up of representatives from St Columba’s, St Francis of Assisi Anglican Church, Morningside Rotary and the PRA. The factory will deliver a further 752 blankets this week, with Absa dropping off 100 more at St Columba’s for Mandela Day, on July 17,” he said.
He added that the distribution process had been flawless thus far, due in large measure to the ‘wonderful’ support the project has received from Japie Krige and Raymond Ndlovu, who oversee the Tshepo Development Initiative in Northcliff. He said Tshepo supplies storage space for the project.
Van Heerden said the handout of blankets to the clients of the St Columba’s soup kitchen, coincided with the cold snap earlier this month, and 75 folk were able to wrap up against the chilly winds. ‘This is what this endeavour is all about’.
“The committee, would like to thank everyone involved – the donors, drivers, helpers, and media, who contributed to make the 2022 Parkview Blanket Drive the most successful yet.”
These are the beneficiaries, who have either already received blankets, or will do so over the next few days.
- Mould Empower Serve integrated social development organisation
- Gift of the Givers (KZN flood relief)
- Tshepo Development Initiative
- Park Care Centre
- Bethany Home
- Frida Hartley Shelter
- Clients of the St Columba’s Soup Kitchen
- Rosebank Shelter / Immaculata
- Every Nation Church.
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