Twitter Blanket Drive urges donations

In 2011 Melanie Minnaar, the founder and national co-ordinator for TBDZA, posted a tweet suggesting that it would be great if the Twitter community could donate blankets to those in need. That tweet generated incredible awareness that resulted in hundreds of blankets being donated and over R25 000 in cash donations being distributed to organisations and people in need countrywide. The Cape Town #TBDZA is being driven by Charles Tertiens, Merentia van der Vent, Marisa Calvert, Fatima Razzak and Ronell Swartbooi and has dubbed themselves Charlie's Angels.

Drop off points

During the past three weeks, the Charlies Angels team have organised various build-up events providing an opportunity for Capetonians to donate blankets. The drop off points for blankets or clothing are Hout Bay Manor in Hout Bay; Rylands High in Rylands; Balu Parker Boulevard in Athlone; Unikem Pharmacy, Klipfontein Road; 1UP Cash and Carry Store in Worcester, Paarl, Epping, Phillipi, Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain, Promenade and Kraaifontein; Spark PR and Cape Town Magazine offices, Long Street, Cape Town; Cafe Manhattan, 74 Waterkant Street; Lexus CapeTown, 73 Hertzog Boulevard; Cool Runnings, Toboggan Park, Bellville; and Fire and Ice Hotel, New Church & Victoria Street, Tamboerskloof.

The two Cape Town beneficiaries receiving the handover on 26 May are Operation Shoe Box and Next Step Africa. Operation Shoe Box cares for 11 888 children and supports 30 charities. The cornerstones of Next Step Africa's sustainable developments in disadvantaged communities are health, education and entrepreneurship. Each project's goal is to empower these disadvantaged communities in order to be self-reliant and sustainable.