Help NPO revive goodwill in Edenvale
“What if you find yourself in that situation? Wouldn’t you want the help as well?”
Spreading warmth and helping those in need was one of the goals Revive focused on in recent months.
Since the start of the cold weather in June, the NPO, in partnership with SOS Security, conducted several outreach programmes throughout Edenvale.
The founder of Revive, David Heritage, said the volunteers handed out blankets, jackets and jerseys to those in need, all donated by the community.
The donations for Edenvale’s homeless community were handed out from 19:00 onwards.
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Revive and the security personnel handed out home-cooked meals at the end of July.
Heritage said the meat was donated, the NPO donated vegetables, and a stew was prepared for the hungry.
The NPO’s primary focus is working with parolees and ex-offenders and doing internal prison ministry work at correctional centres.
It works closely with the Benoni and Boksburg Social Reintegration offices.
The organisation assists parolees and ex-offenders to rehabilitate and reintegrate back into society and the community.
Heritage said the NPO also assisted struggling households with food parcels, all made of donations from the community.
Speaking about the partnership between Revive and SOS, he said he saw Gary Wilson of SOS appeal for donations of blankets from the community on social media.
“David phoned me, and we got speaking about the project, and it progressed from there,” said Wilson.
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He said that around this time, two homeless persons died in the Eastleigh area.
One, commonly known as Shorty, is believed to have died from the elements.
The police seek assistance in identifying his body.
“David does good work for the community. He’s helping as many people as he can,” said Wilson.
He said although some people living on the street might be criminals, not all are.
“Some just need to be given a second chance to get back on their feet.”
Following the initiative’s start, it has gone well, with Heritage collecting donations from community members able to donate.
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After receiving the donations, he processes them to ensure they are of a good standard and can be handed to those in need.
They are then distributed to those in need from Horwoods’s Farm, Eastleigh and Edenvale CBD.
When asked if he believed the donations handed out attracted more homeless to the community, Heritage answered, “The poor and homeless will always be with us and part of the community.
“What if you find yourself in that situation? Wouldn’t you want the help as well?” asked David.
“People living on the streets are all human beings. Everyone has a story to tell, we just have to listen.”
Donations Revive needs for its outreach programme, and to help parolees, include crockery, cutlery, linen, furniture, non-perishable food and decent second-hand clothing.
Alternatively, monetary donations can be made.
Contact 060532 500 or visit www.revivenpo.com for more information.
