Emergency appeal from Sailors’ Society

SAILORS’ Society SA is a charity that has been helping seafarers for 200 years, by providing vital emotional and spiritual support to all seafarers in distress.

With South Africa still in lockdown, members are unable to visit vessels, missions and hospitals, but communication channels have been set up by the international Crisis Response Centre worldwide via Skype and call-in lines for counselling and chats. The Society will be in communication with many vessels around all continents and six of its chaplains will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a rotational roster basis.

The 150 000 seafarers at sea now are spending longer than planned at sea and are unsure of the well-being of their families and loved ones, or when they will be able to see their families again. It puts immense pressure on their spiritual and emotional well-being which could cause depressive or suicidal episodes among seafarers. There is much anxiety about their families left behind.

The Sailors’ Society in South Africa would like to help the desperate seafarers with families in South Africa and appeal to the public to assist with donations for food parcels and other necessities. Chaplains will see the parcels are delivered and a follow up report on the families receiving aid will be sent to all donors.

Should you wish to help contribute, bank details are: International Sailors’ Society SA, Standard Bank, Account number: 051172216, Branch: Glenwood, Code: 042526, Reference: Covid19 support.

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