The staff at The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel in Sea Point have rallied together to help feed over 200 people currently housed at a designated safe space under Culemborg bridge in Cape Town.
Their ‘Culemborg Mission’, as they refer to it, launched on May 7.
It offers hot and nutritious meals prepared under strict sanitary conditions in the hotel’s kitchen. The meals are then delivered to the site, located along Hertzog Boulevard, every week.
Chris Godenir, the General Manager of The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel, said the nationwide lockdown has been a very humbling experience for hotel staff.
"We have a restricted amount of staff on-site at the moment, but we still wanted to do something meaningful for our community. We wanted to do something that we could action right now, instead of waiting around for the lockdown to ease up," he said.
Established in 2018 to address a shortage of beds in shelters in and around the CBD, the Culemborg bridge site offers respite and relief to the city’s homeless. South Africa’s Covid-19 imposed lockdown has only heightened the need.
“The facilities available include beds, ablution facilities and storage lockers for up to 230 people, free of charge, but the only thing not provided is meals,” explained Godenir. He said the food service is only provided by voluntary initiatives and NGOs.
“We know how cold Cape Town can get, especially now as we move into winter. We wanted to make sure the Culemborg residents could sleep with a full belly," he added. Godenir and his team want to get more involved in community projects.
“With the situation as it is now, we’ve realised that this is our chance to truly make a difference in how we operate. Our doors may still be closed during the nationwide restrictions, but our hearts are very much open,” he concluded.
Those wishing to get involved in helping the residents based in Culemborg can assist by dropping off food donations at The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel.
For more information, contact Brynn Rorich, Guest Services Manager, at 021 430 777 or email guestserv@peninsula.co.za