Following the International Downtown Association webinar on Homelessness in Urban Districts, Wilma Piek from the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) was invited to present to the Johannesburg CID Forum.
The VRCID aims to provide a Hand Up and not a Hand Out to people living on the streets. By working with the organisation Mould Empower Serve (MES) the social development team that forms part of the VRCID are able to reunite street people with their families, offer social services and occupational therapy and assist with skills development and employment opportunities.
For the VRCID, the key to any kind of success in helping people living on the streets is the ongoing communication. By hosting regular meetings with social workers, police, property owners, private security guards and members of the community, the VRCID can roll out campaigns with all stakeholders on board. One such initiative is the Food Voucher Scheme where members of the public are asked not to give money to beggars but rather buy Food Vouchers from a participating organisation such as MES which homeless people can exchange for a night at a shelter with a meal, ablution facilities and access to social workers.
For more detailed information from the webinar follow the link to the CID Forum site HERE
