The CCID’s Social Development department focuses on assisting homeless people in the Central City as well as alleviating poverty by supporting skills training and job creation projects. It works in partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders.

The CCID formed partnerships with the following organisations to assist them in the Central City:

• Straatwerk – an NGO that employs previously homeless people and assists them in rebuilding their lives, on a daily basis. They are used for special projects such as graffiti removal, removal of posters, drain cleaning and any other cleaning projects.

• Men on the side of the road – an NGO that helps unemployed people find work by creating special projects, such as a waterless car wash project and training them as tourist assistants in the Central City.

• The Haven, Homestead, Ons Plek and Home of Hope –shelters for homeless people and children in the greater Cape Town area

The CCID Social Welfare/Development department consists of two Field Workers and a dedicated Social Welfare Manager. The department focuses on assisting homeless people in the Central City as well as alleviating poverty by supporting skills training and job creation projects. It works in partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders.

The CCID Social Development department developed a holistic strategy focusing on six main areas of intervention:

Shelters
By building relationships of trust with people on the street, the CCID succeeded in partnering with existing NGOs in the Central City to place hundreds of adults and children in places of safety.

Emergency interventions
When there is a city-wide crisis, the CCID steps in to assist. Two examples of this are the Blanket Drive of 2007 where the CCID, partnered with a local radio station, mobilised the Central City community to donate 80000 blankets to help the city’s indigent in the winter months; and Humaritarian Aid of 2008 whereby the CCID again mobilised relief efforts in the Central City to assist the thousands of displaced foreign nationals.

Reunification
The CCID enjoys a success rate of nearly 80% in reuniting people found on the streets with their families. In the last year alone, it reunited 135 destitute adults and 160 children with their families and communities.

Job creation
Job-creation projects, in partnership with local government, business and NGOs, enjoy high priority. So far six successful job creation projects in the fields of cleansing, urban management, kerbside parking management, recycling, security and roads maintenance have been created.

Diversion programmes
In conjunction with the Department of Justice, the CCID has helped to establish a Community Court in order to divert petty offenders into community service programmes.

Channeling donations
The CCID uses its role as facilitator to link sponsors looking for a worthy cause, with the right beneficiaries. As a result of its many partnerships, many Central City businesses send clothing, food, equipment and IT supplies to the CCID, which then channels these donations to NGOs in the area.

The CCID has shown that by working with social partners, much can be achieved with limited resources. The CCID has demonstrated that business can and should be involved in meeting the needs of poor and homeless people living on the streets of the Central City and any other area.

Should you wish to donate money, food or clothing, please contribute to an established organisation. The following NGOs operate in the Central City:

1. The Haven – District Six (Adult homeless)  (021) 465 1310
2. The Haven – Napier Street (Adult homeless) (021) 421 6219
3. The Homestead (Male street children)(021) 461 7470
4. Ons Plek (Female street children)(021) 465 4829
5. Home of Hope (After hours social work assistance)(086) 010 9089