U-Do: Ways You Help

Buy Vouchers
Vouchers provide meals and clothing, as well as support and rehabilitation. By removing cash, they reduce drug use too.

Donate Funds
Sponsor basic needs, rehabilitation, skills and training and work opportunities. Turn someone’s life around.

Recycle Goods
Give new life to your second hand goods. You can either drop-off or arrange for collection for large donations.

Charity Shop
Purchase with purpose.
In addition to great products, U-turn shops training and work opportunities for formerly homeless clients.
U-can: Volunteer your time and skills
With around 10,000 people homeless in Cape Town and growing numbers globally, U-turn appreciates the urgency and responsibility we hold to provide more people with access to our rehabilitation and skills development programme. We cannot achieve this without our team of passionate, driven and committed volunteers.
If you have time, energy, knowledge and/or skills to spare, we would be grateful if you would commit it to helping to provide a pathway out of homelessness for more people.
Apply for any of the roles listed below by reading the details for the role and filling in the related Volunteer Application Form.
If none of the roles below are relevant to your skills and experience, please feel free to email us at volunteers@homeless.org.za including details of how you would like to volunteer at U-turn.
Living Roots
We have volunteer opportunities at Living Roots, one of our social enterprises that do greening and endemic gardening services.
- Creating plant posters/ signage
- Core strength training
- Gardening support
- Building structure support
If you are interested email volunteers@homeless.org.za
Muizenberg Homeless Support Centre
We have volunteer opportunities at our Muizenberg homeless support centre and have the opportunity to connect with our clients.
- Facilitating voucher-earning sessions
- Education groups (upskilling on various topics)
- Arts/ crafts groups
If you are interested email volunteers@homeless.org.za
Church Representative
U-turn is a Christian organisation. It is only through God’s grace that we are able to run a successful programme and see transformation in the lives of people we serve. Our work is greatly supported by Churches and people motivated by their faith.
U-turn is looking for Church Representatives who can be the bridge between the homeless we serve and your congregation.
With so many passionate churches across Cape Town, we believe that together we can turn the tide on homelessness and provide life after homelessness to more people.
With this in mind, you will ideally have a passion for helping people who are homeless and feel comfortable speaking in front of your congregation.
Once a quarter U-turn will touch base with you to ensure you have material, tools and knowledge needed to speak about the issues and communicate effectively.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Liaise with church elders for regular opportunities to share information about homelessness and U-turn whether during or after services, through newsletters, etc
- Organise a secondhand U-turn clothing bin for your church
- Speak at church about long term restitution for the homeless
- Be the point person at your Church for purchasing U-turn vouchers, as well as for information and news related to homelessness
- Include U-turn beneficiaries in your congregations’ prayer list
Skills Required:
You will ideally be someone who regularly attends Church with strong interpersonal and communication skills, who feels supportive of U-turn’s work and practical ministry. You would have an interest in growing your knowledgeable about homelessness and solutions to the problem.
Working with: Your own Church congregation and U-turn staff
Frequency: Quarterly meetings with U-turn and Sundays at Church
Where: U-turn head office in Kenilworth for quarterly meetings
Commitment: 6 months or more
Reason for minimun commitment: This role requires gaining in-depth knowledge about U-turn work and the issues around homelessness, additionally forming relationships with your congregation as the “go to” for issues around homelessness and U-turn
To apply: Please submit the volunteer application form
Kitchen Assistant
U-turn serves over 1,000 people every year with meals and clothing. This takes an enormous amount of manpower and is an essential service.
We are always in need of volunteers to assist with cooking particularly on for Saturday services, which is entirely run by volunteers (ingredients and instructions are provided) and serving meals – you don’t need to be a professional chef.
Skills needed:
- Apart from a friendly and welcoming disposition no formal skills are needed
Working with: U-turn staff, beneficiaries (predominantly first phase, eg. people who are still living on the streets), and volunteers
Frequency: Weekly commitment (preferably on a Saturday but there may be a need on other days of the week)
Where: U-turn Service Centre, Claremont, corner of Claremont Boulevard and Hawthorne Rd
Commitment minimum: 1 day every week, ongoing
To apply: Please submit the volunteer application form and let us know your availability
Videographer - Cape Town and Johannesburg
We’re looking for you!
Help us tell the stories of people in our communities. Our community is the housed, the homeless, U-turn Champions & graduates as well as our supporters who are with us on this journey to end homelessness.
These beautiful stories can be found across Cape Town and more recently Johannesburg.
Here’s some projects to choose from
Cape Town
Stories of Change
- 10 min documentary – Film styled video testimonies of Champions on our programme.
(Location: Travel in and around Cape Town)
I have a dream
- 56 sec Q & A video with clients receiving services at our homeless support centres.
Location: Claremont, Mitchell’s Plain, Muizenberg & Parow)
U-can Volunteer
- 1 min video testimonies of over 30 volunteers
(Location: Travel in and around Cape Town)
U-can Buy Vouchers
- 1 min video testimonies of over 100 Mi-change voucher re-sellers
Location: Travel in and around Cape Town)
Client testimonies from our social enterprises
- 1 min video testimonies of client satisfaction
(Location: Travel in and around Cape Town – Living Roots, Connect Solutions, Buildback)
Johannesburg
Stories of Change
- 10 min Documentary – Film-styled video testimonies of Champions on our programme.
(Location: Travel in and around Cape Town)
Requirements
- Own equipment & vehicle (Travel claims are permitted)
- Follow brand guide
- Open files to be submitted
You’re part of a team
We honour your gifts and professional skills. Your work will be credited to you and you’re welcome to add it to your professional portfolio. We honour time commitments and exercise the brand whilst inviting innovation and new methods of creativity. Join us once a quarter to meet and celebrate our mutual teamwork accomplishment.
If you are interested, email volunteers@homeless.org.za
(Please include links to your portfolio of work)
Reporting Manager
Quinique Jagers