Agency helps the homeless
Representatives of Ogilvy Africa paid a visit to the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg recently – with a trailer-load of food items and clothing.
The agency donated R8 000 worth of much needed disposable nappies, baby formula, baby cereal, tinned food and blankets, as well as a massive pile of clothing to the church, which accommodates about 900 homeless people every evening.
The agency's Cassandra Naidoo says the money and clothing was collected from staff and companies within the larger group. "We heard about the church from one of our colleagues and decided we wanted to do something to help. We formed a committee and the project gained its own momentum," she says.
The church, which is run by Bishop Paul Verryn and is a safe-haven for people, mostly refugees, who have nowhere to lay their heads at night, relies entirely on donations. It serves one cooked meal a week and medical students visit once a week to attend to the sick. Everyone who stays at the church is expected to contribute R5.00 a week to help
maintain and clean it.
Naidoo says Ogilvy Africa is investigating ways to make an ongoing commitment to the church and help more people in need.
