The Parow Centre of Hope homeless shelter provides accommodation and three meals a day for up to 50 adults who also have access to counselling and rehabilitation to help them re-integrate into society. Picture: Magma Media. Picture: Magma Media.
Four years ago, Delia Minnaar, of Uitsig, wasn’t getting along with her family because of her drug addiction, and after her wendy house burnt down, she found herself living on the streets.
“When I was homeless, I had a difficult winter because of the cold,” she says. “I could not sleep at night, and I was constantly having to be aware of my surroundings. I had to sleep with one eye open for the danger from the gangsters. I was sleeping in front of the Ravensmead police station for my safety.”
But with the support of the Parow Centre of Hope, a shelter run by the charity, Mould Empower Serve (MES), Ms Minnaar says she was able to quit drugs and restore her health and dignity.
Since the beginning of the month, MES has compiled interviews with homeless people whose lives have changed for the better because of the shelter to mark the two years that have passed since it opened. Their stories can be found on the organisation’s YouTube channel.
The shelter, which officially opened on World Homeless Day, October 10, in 2022, provides accommodation and three meals a day for up to 50 adults who also have access to counselling and rehabilitation to help them re-integrate into society.
“The primary goal is to support individuals in their journey to restoration, with a strong emphasis on change and job readiness,” said MES spokesperson Anelle Erasmus.
According to Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District spokesperson Luane de Vries, complaints about public drinking, begging, and drug abuse in Parow dropped from 425 incidents from July to September 2022, before the shelter opened, to 258 incidents from October 11 to December 31, after the shelter opened.
Last month, the International Downtown Association recognised the VRCID and MES with the Award of Excellence for their work in improving the lives of the homeless and urban management.