Homelessness is rife and more often than not, it is misunderstood.
In 2019 I met Geoff Burton. In 1981, Geoff Burton found a message within himself that he wanted to open a place for the homeless to rebuild broken lives, be respected, acknowledged and not be dismissed.
When I landed back in Cape Town in 2016 and continued my career in Real Estate, I knew I wanted to get involved philanthropically but I needed time to settle in my career and my personal life. Raising money for charity over the years has been in my make-up. Why wouldn’t you give to those who are less fortunate, human or animal? It’s not only been about lives, it has also been about supporting the arts, culture or raising money for a dilapidated building which will be put to better use.
When Geoff found me, there was no hard sell needed but I got the run-through of The Hope Exchange and I was grateful for it. As a man in property finding people their dream homes, wasn’t it a perfect fit to support those who can’t afford a home? Absolutely. I also love Geoff and his passion for The Hope Exchange.
The Hope Exchange today offers the homeless the chance to wash, clean clothes, get a meal, access to clinic care and social support. Not only that, in 1999, Geoff opened 40 second phase residences for those that have found employment but need a place to stay. This rotates every three months.
In 2019 I decided to enter the Half Iron Man in East London, February 2020 with my fiancé (now husband), his cousin and her fiancé. I decided to raise money for The Hope Exchange as an individual with the hope that one day I could raise greater sums through my profession. I raised just over R12,000.
I am delighted to say that as I launch Hardie Property, for every sale, a percentage will go towards a client’s choice of charity or one of Hardie Property’s featured charities, The Hope Exchange being one of them.
If you would like to hear more about Geoff Burton’s legacy, there is a superb interview on The Hope Exchange website, click here.
If you would like to donate, click here.