It is not going to be a merry Christmas for the hundreds of destitute and elderly who rely on the Crisis Centre feeding scheme for their very survival.
Following complaints from residents in Birkett Street of ‘noise and litter and other social issues regarding the huge groups of people who queue to exchange their plastic waste for food’, the Council has issued notice that the project will close on December 24.
The scheme, that operates from the Crisis Centre, which is a municipal house, was first told that their last day would be October 17. Carol Bradley of the Crisis Centre sent an urgent letter asking for an extension which has since been granted. However, it is cold comfort for those who flock to the Centre – no less than 500 a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
“The municipality did offer an alternative venue in Sibongile, opposite the hostel, which was deemed to be unsuitable because of safety concerns. Ironically, the municipality used the waste-for-food-for-recycling project as part of a competition to award Endumeni the greenest town award.
“We have been closed because of a few municipal tenants complaining of the queues. Yet, the shebeen that operates from a municipal house carries on with impunity.”
‘Sinister agenda’
She hinted that there could be a more ‘sinister agenda behind the forced closure of the scheme’.
Mrs Bradley added that the queues are dealt with efficiently to ensure that there is no time wasted. “The street is swept by ourselves afterwards… this street is probably the cleanest in Dundee – but we are the ones who have to close.”
The old people who came to the Centre last Wednesday with bags of plastic said they ‘will die as this is the only food that we get.’
“Our pensions are inadequate because of the high cost of food and electricity. Many of us support our grandchildren so the impact is going to be widespread.” Schools from as far as Msinga, Dannhauser, Wasbank and even Ladysmith and Newcastle also receive food from the scheme and they too will suffer. “Our town has benefitted from this project because the recycling has encouraged people to clean up their areas. We will also lose out on vital funding that also supports the Crisis Centre itself.”
