5 Things The Immaculata Shelter For The Homeless Needs Right Now

It’s been an unexpected rough few months for most, but not as tough as for those without a place to call home. The Immaculata Shelter in Rosebank hopes to change that, one simple need at a time.

The shelter has been in existence for over 30-years.
Now more than ever, the homeless have turned to the shelter for a meal, a safe place to sleep and bath.
The Immaculata Shelter is in need of key essentials, to help continue to do their work.
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Whilst many have found being at home a tiring and strenuous affair, locked down for months on end, a group of people in greater Sandton have been struggling with quite the opposite problem – not having a place to come home to at all.

For those who manage to find refuge in its walls, the Immaculata Shelter in Rosebank is a place to freshen up, get some rest, visit the bathroom or get a meal. Image: The Sandton Times

Run by the Sisters of Mercy, and part of the complex of the Catholic Church in Rosebank, where there is also a Convent School for Girls, the Immaculata Shelter has continued its work through the lockdown.

Where once 100 souls would find a place to call ‘safe and sound’ for the night, now only 50 can lay down, the majority of them men. During a recent media walkthrough Rosebank, the Rosebank Homeless Association highlighted some of the critical items needed, by the shelter, to make life a little better for its temporary residents:

1. SECURE LOCKERS

Keeping essential documents safe, like identification cards and the like, is essential for anyone, especially the homeless who have no permanent safe spot to keep these. Key documents often go missing during law enforcement raids or are even stolen by others. The Immaculata Shelter is currently looking for a secure storage locker solution that can bring peace of mind to those who need to keep these safe overnight.

2. MEN’S CLOTHING AND SHOES

Although there are a handful of women who make use of the Immaculata Shelter, the majority are men who are in need of suitable clothing and shoes, be it to replace torn and worn-out day-to-day items or something a bit smarter for a potential job opportunity. The Immaculata Shelter welcomes any clothing and shoe donations.

3. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Whilst the custodians of the shelter battle to try and get the City of Johannesburg to provide relief to the shelter in the form of reduced water and electricity rates, fundraising to keep the shelter operating is ongoing, as it has for three decades. The Immaculata Shelter welcomes any financial support individuals and or companies can provide.

4. TRAINING AND MENTORING

As South Africa’s unemployment rate climbs above 34%, the highest on a worldwide list of 82 countries monitored by Bloomberg, the need for education, training, and mentorship is ever critical to not only tackle the unemployment but unemployability scourge. The Immaculata Shelter invites anyone who can help raise the skills of its homeless community.

5. FOOD

Serving up to two meals a day, takeaway style during COVID-19, the Immaculata Shelter ensures that those who come to its doors do not leave hungry and can do with any and all non-perishable food donations to help fill hungry bodies and strengthen those who need it most.

Any and all donations can be made directly to the Immaculata Shelter in Rosebank by contacting Michael Ntuli on +27-11-447-9801 or +27-73-321-0968.

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