With nearly 200 children collecting recyclable goods for the JBay Recycling Project, the non-profit organisation is seeking additional volunteers to help these children while they shop from their swop shop at the Sunshine Service Centre in Pellsrus each Monday, as a reward for their hard work.
As previously reported by Kouga Express, JBay Recycling Project was initially established in 2011 to alleviate poverty and pollution, by providing access to basic essentials for children, while simultaneously cleaning up the environment and educating the youth about the importance of a healthy environment.
Tanja Lategan, JBay Recycling Project co-ordinator, said that after delivering the recyclable material every Monday after school, the items are weighed, and each child is rewarded with points referred to as “mula” and can be used to “buy” items like toiletries, food, stationery, second-hand clothing, and toys, from their swop shop.
She said that each Monday volunteers assist at the centre to ensure that it is a smooth process; however, since the number of volunteers fluctuates each week, children can wait in line for up to three hours on days when they do not have many volunteers on site.
“If we have about eight volunteers on site, we are able to manage, but any fewer than this results in a bottleneck. We battle with the low number of volunteers, and it would be helpful to have extra volunteers,” said Lategan.
She further said that since they do not have a shaded area outside while the children wait to enter the shop, they are exposed to various elements, such as the sun and wind.
Lategan said that to speed up the process and ensure that each child has an assistant helping them in the shop, they need more volunteers.
Thankfully, she said that they had students from Victory Gap Year and C-Salt volunteering on February 12 and 19, which was a great help.
Lategan said that people can get involved by volunteering on Mondays from 11:00 to 13:00 to help set up the swop shop, to assist the children to spend their mula in the swop shop between 13:00 and 16:00, or count stock and pack it away from 16:00.
Since the students from Victory Gap Year and C-Salt plan to continue to volunteer regularly from 14:00 to 16:00, she said that it would be great if people would consider volunteering between 11:00 and 14:00 or after 16:00 when they are short of hands.
“The volunteers will always have something to do, and they really enjoy their time volunteering. We also try to create an uplifting atmosphere for the children, which the volunteers enjoy as well,” said Lategan.
In addition to needing more volunteers, she said they also need more donations.
Lategan said they have a long list of donations that they need available on their website, but they desperately need more shoes.
“We can never have enough pre-loved clothing, but the children are always in need of shoes, and we cannot keep up with the demand,” said Lategan.
Despite the need for shoes, she said that they would appreciate donations of any kind but requests the goods should be in good condition.
Lategan said the children in need are between the ages of three and 17.
“We want the children to have dignity and to stay in school, and this is why we stock a variety of items at the shop, such as stationery, school uniforms, toiletries, and clothing,” said Lategan.
Once the children are done shopping, she said that they receive a nutritious snack, fruit, and milk to enjoy, which are sponsored by First Choice/Woodlands Dairy, Infood, Food Lover’s Market, and Nina’s.
Lategan said they are appreciative of the donations of food they have received over the last few years; however, they need more food and would appreciate any food donations whether weekly, monthly, or yearly.
“Many of the children come straight from school to the drop-off area, and only leave again at 15:00 or 16:00. We want to ensure that they have something nutritious to eat before they leave,” said Lategan.
To volunteer or donate food and second-hand goods to the JBay Recycling Project, contact Tanja Lategan at 084 684 6771 or visit their website on www.jbayrecyclingproject.org.
