Approximately 450 residents from areas such as Wetton, Ottery, Parkwood, Philippi, Freedom Park informal settlement and Strandfontein benefitted from the China Town Winter Outreach Programme on Saturday 14 June.
This venture was done in partnership with Keith Blake, a retired police officer from Ottery and former operational commander at Table Bay Harbour, Shuwing Lieu, CEO of China Towns and the Tzu Chi Foundation.
“Over the past ten years, I received requests from Lieu to nominate disadvantaged communities to receive winter parcels as that they are handing out food parcels every year. The inclement weather we have experienced over the past month forced me to ask Lieu to move the winter outreach forward by a month. I spoke to residents in the informal settlement and they said they are freezing from the wet and cold and chopped up all the trees in Woodlands Road in Ottery for firewood to keep warm,” Blake says.
“I phoned Lieu, my friend since 1982, and relayed the messages from the residents and after discussing this with his managers he said the winter programme will be on Saturday June 14 at the Ottery branch. Tina and I were summoned to his office on Friday 13 June for a meeting and reaffirmed that each person nominated by me will receive a 25-litre bucket filled with some groceries, a blanket and 10kg rice donated by the Tzu Chi Foundation.
“We were in tears when he stated each recipient will get a winter gown, jackets, winter slippers, water bottles, wool beanies and masks to keep them warm. He even offered to buy 6 000 pieces of wood, which I declined as I had received and donated six bakkie loads of stumps and wood for Freedom Park,” Blake says.
With the help of Grassy Park Police, Ottery Fire Department, five Grassy Park CPF members, law enforcement officers and security officers they made sure that there were no safety hazards during the event.
“Tzu Chi, which means “Compassionate Relief”, is an international humanitarian organisation rooted in the principles of love, kindness, and service. Since our founding in 1966 by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan, we have carried out charitable work across the globe – providing aid to the poor, relief to disaster victims, and hope to those facing hardship.
“At the heart of our work lies the belief that small acts of kindness, when multiplied, can transform lives and heal communities,” says Meghan Dyck, from the Tzu Chi Foundation.
“The Foundation’s involvement in the Ottery event was led by Western Cape Chair Joan Wu and William Wu, whose tireless commitment to service helped bring this special day to life. With the support of Tzu Chi volunteers, we joined hands with China Town to distribute essential items to families and individuals facing difficult circumstances. It was more than a donation – it was a message of care, dignity, and shared humanity.
“The spirit of giving is a long-standing tradition for Tzu Chi. We believe that every person deserves to be treated with respect and compassion, regardless of their background or situation. Events like this remind us all of the power of community and the profound impact of giving from the heart,” she says.
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