Hub helps transform homeless lives

A Woodstock NGO working with the homeless officially launched a service centre last week.

It was a double celebration for Souper Troopers, which launched its Humanity Hub on its ninth birthday, last Wednesday.

Executive director Kerry Hoffman started the organisation out of the boot of her car, feeding the homeless in the Company’s Garden.

“We have ensured that over the years we have kept on trooping to ensure that people on the streets received dignity, love and respect,” she said.

“We believe that by connecting with individuals and listening to their needs that there is a way. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and we have seen that through our psychosocial development services - that people’s lives are changing for the better.”

She thanked all their partners, saying it was because of them they could do what they do.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “We need to be quite honest and upfront about the fact that many of these organisations achieve far better results than the City has been able to achieve - trying to implement a massified solution,” he said.

Cape Town received additional backing and support from the National Treasury’s stipend programme and that was largely due to the work of various organisations in the city, he said.

“Above the funding from the treasury, we have allocated significant resources to beef up the community services and health directorate. We have also allocated about R253 million to expanding our safe space model over the next three years, but there is still a long way to go.”

Mr Hill-Lewis said the issue of homelessness needed to be dealt with holistically and could not only be addressed through a law-enforcement approach.

The Humanity Hub will provide a range of services to help homeless people (Troopers) transform their lives, including clean clothes, toiletries, and something to eat, referral for addiction and mental illness, help in obtaining IDs and grants, family mediation and reunification and job preparation.

Coming out of an abusive relationship, Odette Olivier found herself on the streets and addicted to drugs before joining Souper Troopers. Today she is the supervisor of the African Worry Dolls project.

Gideon Venter said he could not have imagined how his life would have changed when he knocked on the NGO’s door two years ago. Today he is a supervisor and administrator.

“They have helped me turn my life around, grow confidence and regain my self-worth and self-respect. None of this would have been possible without the support of this family. Many of us do not have family outside, but when we are here, we are at home.”

In the three months since James Clarke has been at Souper Troopers - he has managed to get off the streets.

“I can truly say that I am now the best version of myself, and while I am still under construction, I have made strides. This is more than just a building but a place where we come together and support each other through the good and the bad.”

The Humanity Hub, at 66 Newmarket Street, is open to beneficiaries by appointment on Mondays and Thursdays, from 8.30am to 3pm.