Pitch in for the Homeless

by Erin Carelse · December 28, 2017

Some of the volunteers for the soup kitchen at Durban’s Denis Hurley Centre who came in for an especially memorable Christmas morning, including a dentist who brought chocolates for all the homeless. The soup kitchen is appealing for volunteers during the holidays.

Volunteers donated time this festive season by helping out in the kitchen at the Nkosinathi project for the homeless run by Durban’s Denis Hurley Centre (DHC)— and there is still time to be part of the volunteer group.

Nkosinathi (“God is with us” in isiZulu) provides breakfast and a cooked lunch five days a week — that’s 250–350 meals a day and more than 4000 a month.

Although some of the food is bought, the project makes use of food donations and special agreements with local traders as well as donations of cash.

Nkosinathi also provides showers and clean secondhand clothes to help homeless people improve their sense of dignity, and refers clients to its clinic for health problems as well as to other outreach projects.

Unisa’s Bright Site

Students volunteer too — Year 4 social work students, as part of Unisa’s Bright Site initiative, interview clients one-on-one to help identify their needs.

And thanks to a partnership with the Grey Street mosque and the SA National Zakah Fund, Christian and Muslim volunteers work side by side to help the homeless.

The DHC speaks out on behalf of the homeless community and helps them to advocate for their own rights. For example, an office at the centre is provided for a committee of the homeless, and the DHC organises forums for homeless people and the police to meet.

It also plays a leading role in a city-sponsored research project on homelessness with the Human Sciences Research Council.

Volunteers Are So Welcome

Nkosinathi gladly welcomes volunteers. You can just pop in for any amount of time between 8:00 and 13:00, and cooks Tracy, Gcina, and Nonhlanhla will find something useful for you to help with.

Volunteers are needed especially during the holiday season when many regulars are on leave.

There is still a need for volunteers on Wednesday, December 27; Thursday, December 28; Saturday, December 30; Sunday, December 31; and Tuesday, January 2.

There is safe parking behind Emmanuel cathedral and below Victoria Street Market.

For more information contact Sr Cathy at or on 083 956 3726.