BUCKETS OF HOPE!

For most people, the idea of losing all our earthly possessions is unthinkable! But for many people, this has been their reality. A spark from an electrical item, hearing the shouts and screams of a neighbor warning us of danger – grabbing a child or a loved one and within minutes – everything is engulfed in flames!

There have been many that this has happened to, some while they are at work or the children are at school. Many just going about their daily life while disaster strikes at home. In an informal settlement a fire can spread to 20 homes within 5 minutes!

More recently, during the winter floods of 2023, the Western Cape experienced widespread flooding and many homes were completely flooded. Imagine waking up on a cold Winter’s day to a soaked mattress, water soaking your clothes and not being able to cook because your food is wet and damaged.

While there is much that we are unable to replace, we CAN come alongside families to make sure they have food, a warm blanket and some clothing as they navigate starting again. This is where Buckets of Hope (and our amazing supporters) come in.

Buckets of Hope is a partnership between Village Action Network NPC, Olympians Social Development Club and Hospice Timeless Wonder Shop. We aim to have a unified, consistent, and prepared response to WHEN disaster strikes! As such, our goal is to keep 50 x 25 litre buckets filled and ready as well as 200 blankets in reserve to be able to respond within the first 24 hours of a fire or flood.

The items in the bucket are food staples that are enough to assist a family of approximately 4 people for 3-5 days after the fire with the basic items needed. The bucket with lid is then also useful for carrying water, cleaning and storage. In the event of a single severe fire, this could mean that all buckets are used in a single incident.

We have also recently added a bag of dog/cat food because when the family suffers, the pets suffer too!

A blanket per person or couple is part of the Bucket of Hope.

Finally, due  to the generosity of Timeless Wonder Hospice Shop, Wellington Road, Durbanville, a clothing voucher is issued. We belief in giving dignity to the victims by allowing them to choose their own clothing in the aftermath of their personal disaster.