More donations stream in after Parkington fire
Many residents were left destitute and lost all of their worldly possessions in the blaze. To help the community get back on its feet, organisations as well as businesses donated food, clothes, blankets and other non-perishable items.
DOZENS of entities within and surrounding Durban North have rallied in support of the Parkington Road Informal Settlement, after a devastating fire destroyed more than 300 homes two weeks ago.
Many residents were left destitute and lost all of their worldly possessions in the blaze. To help the community get back on its feet, organisations as well as businesses donated food, clothes, blankets and other non-perishable items.
Grace Family Church was one of the first organisations to offer assistance, and the Greenwood Park Police Station also stepped in with 24-hour patrols to ensure the safety of the residents.
The station also set up a mobile station to enable the residents to apply for affidavits for the replacement of IDs and other documents that were lost in the fire.
Last week, the South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) as well as The Faith Centre International (FCI) joined the cause. On Wednesday last week SARCS was able to serve the residents a hot meal after they had received an anonymous donation.
“We are solely reliant on donations from the community. Without the donations we are unable to assist the destitute. Therefore, we are appealing to the community to use the Red Cross as a drop-off point for any donations,” said Cyril Vesi, provincial manager of SARCS.
After hearing about the blaze, the congregation of the FCI began collecting food and other items for the residents of the settlement, and on Thursday staff and volunteers from the church delivered the generous donations to the residents.
“We will continue to assist the community on an ongoing basis, according to their specific needs,” said Pastor Roshan Sing, of the FCI.
Johnson Mgenge, a representative of the community, said the residents were grateful for all the donations and assistance from the community.
“The community is still struggling to rebuild their lives, and many are still homeless”, he added. The eThekwinin Municipality erected two tents to temporarily shelter the residents.
Contact Mgenge on 060 659 1771, the FCI on 031 564 8192 or the Red Cross on 031 563 2929.
