Give responsibly, says Hillcrest CPF Sub-forum
Hillcrest residents are asked to support shelters for the homeless over the holiday season as the organisation focuses on the suburb's CBD.
THE chair of the Hillcrest CPF Sector One Sub-forum (CPSF), Megan Dunstan, is appealing to residents to support their #GiveResponsibly campaign.
The newly formed sub-forum falls under the auspices of the Hillcrest Community Policing Forum (CPF) and has the aim of cleaning up the Hillcrest CBD and surrounds.
Dunstan says there has been an increase in the number of homeless people in central Hillcrest recently, and their #GiveResponsibly campaign aims to address this socio-economic issue. The forum appeals to members of the public to donate to NGOs and charities with the mandate of helping homeless people, instead of giving cash, clothing, or food items directly to those sleeping on the streets of the suburb.
The sub-forum chair said, “This campaign kicked off as we noticed an increase in crime and public drug use in Hillcrest CBD. We are trying to encourage people to give responsibly to organisations that deal with the homeless sector rather than giving to people directly. It does them an injustice by encouraging them to stay on the streets. We would rather the Hillcrest community give wisely and responsibly.”
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The Sector One Sub-forum feels this campaign is the best way to assist homeless people in the area, potentially resulting in a long-term solution for the individuals, rather than a short-lived fix.
Additionally, the sub-forum has initiated a physical, bi-weekly clean-up schedule with an employee picking up litter in the CBD. Dunstan encourages businesses to get behind this project so the sub-forum can extend its reach.
“We’ve opened a bank account and are pushing hard for businesses to come on board. We have an employee who removes litter from the CBD twice a week at the moment. The rubbish bags are collected by a CPSF member. We ask for Hillcrest-based businesses to sit and chat with us to see how we can take our projects forward,” says Dunstan.
Dunstan says that the CPSF members are volunteers with full-time employment and that their aim is the betterment of the Hillcrest area. Dunstan is additionally the chair of the neighbourhood watch group in her residential suburb.
For more information, email hillcrest.cpsf@gmail.com.
