The storm came.
We are still here.
On the night of 11 May 2026, a devastating storm swept through The Valley. Six families lost their homes entirely. Many more are wet, cold, and waiting. We are calling for partners to help us rebuild.
In some of the worst weather this region has seen in years, The Valley took a direct hit. By morning on 12 May, the extent of the damage was clear — and it was severe.
Corrugated iron roofs had been peeled back or torn away entirely. Walls had collapsed. The sand floors that families live and sleep on — already modest, already hard — were covered in sludge. Children woke up wet. Mothers were wringing out what little they had. Six families lost everything. Not some of their belongings — everything. No roof. No dry floor. No bed to return to.
These are the same families we walk alongside every day. The same children who collect their sandwiches and soup from the Love Looks Like Something soup kitchen every single day. Love Looks Like Something is the original NPO behind this work — founded in The Valley in 2020, they run the daily soup kitchen, support the schooling costs of over 700 children in the community, run a Christmas fundraiser each year, and are now leading the rebuild of the homes lost in the storm. We are glad to say the soup kitchen is back on its feet — staff are making soup daily and the children are fed. But the storm took things the kitchen cannot replace: a roof, a warm bed, shoes, dry clothes, a home.
Six families. No roof. No bed. No dry floor. That is where we are starting from.
Live Donation Tracker
We are tracking every donation and need in real time. You can see exactly how much has been raised and what is still required — updated directly by the team on the ground.
View Live Donations Update ↗We are running a Community Building Fund to help these families rebuild. The needs go beyond bricks and iron — children need blankets, shoes, jackets, and warm clothing. Families need beds, bedding, and the basics that make a shelter a home again. Every contribution, whether money, materials, or your hands, goes directly into this work.
If you have contacts in the building trade, access to materials, or would like to organise a collection drive, please get in touch. We will make sure it reaches the right hands.
11 / 15 🔍
Here is what
we need right now.
Six families have lost their homes entirely. Below is everything we are working to provide — for the buildings and for the people inside them.
For the Homes
Most Urgent
Corrugated iron sheeting
For permanent roof repairs. Six homes are entirely exposed. Sheets of any standard size accepted.
Immediate Cover
Heavy-duty plastic sheeting
Emergency weatherproofing while permanent repairs are underway. Families cannot wait.
Building Fund
Financial contributions
Donations go directly to purchasing materials and covering labour costs for the most vulnerable households.
Trades & Labour
Builders, roofers, handymen
If you can offer your hands, your skills, or your contacts in the building trade — please reach out. Every hour counts.
For the Families & Children
Children
Warm clothing, shoes & jackets
Children lost clothing in the storm. Warm jackets, shoes, and dry clothes are urgently needed. Please get in touch regarding sizes.
Children & Families
Blankets
Families are sleeping in the cold. Any size, any condition — blankets are needed immediately for both children and adults.
Families
Beds & bedding
Six families lost everything they slept on. Beds, mattresses, and bedding of any kind will restore a basic dignity to these homes.
Families
Home supplies & clothing
Basic household items — cooking equipment, crockery, day-to-day supplies — and clothing for adults. Contact us for sizes before dropping off clothing.
How to direct
your donation.
Two registered organisations serve The Valley. Love Looks Like Something is the original NPO — founded in 2020, they run the daily soup kitchen, support the schooling costs of over 700 children in the community, run a Christmas fundraiser each year, and are leading the emergency rebuild of the homes lost on 11 May. Elpida is their second NPO, born from that same daily work, with a mandate to build the long-term infrastructure this community needs: a school, a sports development centre, and a trauma and counselling facility. Unless you instruct us otherwise, all donations received right now go directly to emergency storm relief — rebuilding the six homes that were lost and meeting the immediate needs of the families affected. If you would prefer your gift directed elsewhere, please email us at admin@elpidageorge.co.za and reference your preference clearly on your payment. If you require a Section 18A tax certificate, donate to Elpida and use the reference “Storm Appeal” — Elpida is the only registered PBO between the two organisations able to issue them.
Elpida NPO
Elpida is the registered NPO and PBO established to build the long-term infrastructure The Valley needs — a school, a sports development centre, and a trauma and counselling facility. All donations received right now go directly to emergency storm relief unless you instruct otherwise. To ringfence your gift for the long-term build or a specific purpose, email admin@elpidageorge.co.za and reference it on your payment. Elpida is a registered PBO — qualifying donations are tax deductible and Section 18A certificates are issued within 30 days. Use the reference: Storm Appeal.
| Account holder | Elpida NPO |
| Bank | First National Bank |
| Branch code | 250655 (universal) |
| Account number | 6317 6971 787 |
| SWIFT / BIC | FIRNZAJJ (international) |
| NPO registration | 333-855-NPO |
| Reference | Your name + Storm Appeal |
Love Looks Like Something
Love Looks Like Something is the founding ministry of this work — present in The Valley since 2020. They run the daily soup kitchen that feeds hundreds of children every day, fund the schooling costs of over 700 children in the community, organise an annual Christmas fundraiser, and are leading the emergency rebuild of the six homes lost on 11 May. Visit lovelookslikesomething.co.za and follow the live donation tracker at lovelookslikesomething.co.za/storm-damage.
| Account holder | Love Looks Like Something |
| Bank | Nedbank |
| Branch code | 198765 |
| Account number | 1234272385 |
| Account type | Current Account |
| SWIFT / BIC | NEDSZAJJ (international) |
| NPO number | APPL25-04255 |
| Reference | Your name + Storm Relief (or specify purpose) |
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It begins with you.
These families have already lost so much. What they need now is not pity — it is people who are willing to pick up a sheet of iron and help them start again. That is what Elpida has always been. And that is what we are asking you to be today.