An early morning drive to provide warmth to the homeless - David Gemmell

First Help, the largest towing company in the Southern Hemisphere, has an annual Blanket Drive which takes place in the winter. The drive aims to hand out blankets to the homeless in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Author David Gemmel - he wrote the book 'Joost, Man in the Mirror' about rugby's Joost van der Westhuizen - was invited by First Help founder Clinton Spolander, to join the early morning drive this year. He told BizNews about his experience, a tow truck driver named 'Duggie', the relationship that exists between drivers' and street people - and how handing out blankets to a phalanx of homeless people turned out to be painful. Gemmel noted that it's tough seeing first-hand how many people had it hard, but said it was pleasant to see “how these hapless souls could be cheered up by a dint of a single blanket.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices