The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) has rallied its staff to highlight the plight of the city’s homeless this World Homelessness Day. World Homelessness Day takes place annually on the 10th of October and aims to draw attention and raise awareness around the challenges faced by people who find themselves living on the streets. On this international day, the

CTICC partnered with The Haven Night Shelter, one of four local community organisations the centre supports as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, to help the organisation and the men and women who rely on their care.

The CTICC donated an industrial washing machine and a tumble dryer to The Haven branch in Napier Street. CTICC staff members also provided toiletries for male and female care packs, and volunteered at the centre by helping with various maintenance activities. During the past year, the CTICC also sponsored the organisation’s board meetings and the CTICC kitchen donates quality food on a regular basis to the shelter.

The Haven has 15 shelters in and around Cape Town and for its 2015/16 financial year, it directly helped 3 000 people. The average period that someone stays at The Haven is 242 days. According to its latest annual report, a majority of men (76%) sought help and shelter at the Haven. This ratio, however, might not be a real reflection of Cape Town’s homelessness, the report notes.

“The Haven Night Shelter plays an extremely vital role in our city. This is precisely why we wanted to support this important NGO as well as the people it helps. The CTICC is part of the city’s fabric and we know that we cannot ignore society’s challenges and hope that by getting our staff to participate, and through the donations, we can make a small difference in the lives of the city’s homeless community,” says Julie-May Ellingson, the CTICC Chief Executive Officer.