WATCH: Homeless embark on shopping spree at city’s first Street Store
Hundreds of homeless and lessfortunate people in East London spent Freedom Day shopping for free clothes and receiving free primary healthcare services over a cup of free coffee yesterday at East London’s first Street Store.
The Street Store charity initiative started in Cape Town two years ago.
It aims to create a “shop-like” environment where less fortunate men, women and children can pick out donated clothes with the assistance of volunteers.
The concept was brought to East London when Frere Hospital CEO Rolene Wagner and other community members read and saw videos about it on social media.
The Street Store was held at the Salvation Army premises in Southernwood, and hosted by Dr Carola Hantelmann, who has been arranging collection points for donations around the city.
Although the shop only opened at 9am, hundreds of people – including women with children on their backs, the elderly, young and disabled – were already lined up at 8am.
Inside, thousands of clothing items, shoes and accessories were waiting, already divided into men’s, women’s and children’s sections.
One of the first “shoppers” to make it in was Fundiswa Madolo, who was with her two-year-old daughter. Madolo said it was the first time she had experienced anything like it.
“It feels so good to be able to pick out clothes for my daughter and myself – something that seldom happens,” Madolo said.
Another shopper, Albert Baliso said he felt he was in “heaven”.
“I am so used to picking things up from dirtbins; this is my first time picking clothes that I want,” Baliso added. By 10am, the store had already seen close to 200 people pass through. Each person was able to select three items of clothes, a pair of shoes and a number of accessories.
Hantelmann said the response from volunteers and members of the public who donated items was beyond amazing. “We only had two months to put this together but in that short period of time we were able to collect so many items that we lost count,” Hantelmann said.
Wagner, who assumed the role of “store manager” on the day, said the 70 volunteers had arrived at 7am to set up shop. She said they chose to host the store on Freedom Day to highlight the significance of the day.
“This is to extend the democracy that we all enjoy to those who are less fortunate by giving them the freedom to choose what they want to wear and the access to free healthcare,” Wagner said.
A group of Frere medical staff members made referrals and dispensed medication to those in need.
Dr Lesley-Ann Foster from Masimanyane Women’s Support Group and magistrate Nazeem Joemath were also available to offer free counseling and legal advice, respectively.
After doing their shopping, the shoppers sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee ordered from the café that was set up inside the building. —