Our Legacy

Sunnyside Park Hotel and Evita Bezuidenhout join forces to support MES

Sunnyside Park Hotel recently hosted a function in support of the Metro Evangelical Services (MES) to raise both funds and awardness of this organization. Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout and here alter ego Piete- Dirk Uys were on hand to entertain the guests.

 MES is a registered non-profit organization which has been serving the homeless and destitute community in the city of Johannesburg for the past 23 years. Their vision is "To change the heart of the city".

MES started as a feeding programme in 1986 when they began handing out food parcels to the homeless and unemployed community of Hillbrow. At that stage it was part of the Dutch Reformed Church's outreach project. The organization was initiated to address the pressing needs of the poor in the inner city of Johannesburg - especially addressing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of the homeless and unemployed. It sought to challenge individuals to take responsibility for their own lives. In 1989 the project achieved Section 21 status with a board of directors.

 Today MES focus on the following strategies: housing, health, education, training job creation and care of the poor. They also offer social services. These services are implemented through their developmental programme, each focusing on a specific need and target group within the homeless community. All the activities are geared towards sustainable development of the homeless community through delivering a holistic service to their clients.

Through the different programmes the organization is able to reach people from all ages (from children to the elderly.) 95 % of the clients of MES are from previous disadvantaged communities. The clients fall within the following categories:

• Toddlers & Babies
• Unemployed/unskilled Youth
• School going children/youth
• Youth at risk
• Adult women & men
• Families and the elderly.