  Story of Change
Meet Mark
Together,
Turning Lives Around
When you shop at a U-turn, you’re part of a bigger story.
By buying previously loved goods, you are providing a work opportunity for someone who has had to work hard to overcome enormous challenges like addiction or homelessness, through the U-turn Homeless Ministries programme. For over 25 years, U-turn has been providing and refining a pathway out of homelessness and addiction. We believe in life after homelessness, we believe that each life is valuable, and we believe in the God-given potential of each person.
It’s thanks to people like you—who both donate goods and purchase goods—that we can provide over 120 work opportunities to Champions who have overcome addiction, unemployment, broken families, and loss of belief in themselves. Our social enterprise provides on-the-job training and stipends, alongside a holistic rehabilitation programme. Over 80% of U-turn graduates remain independently employed and sober long term. So, our deep thanks to you for giving new life to secondhand goods and to the Champions on U-turn’s programme!
How we began
Our story
1997
Colleen Lewis begins praying for and providing basic needs to people in need from her garage in Claremont, before moving to St Stephen’s Church.
2011
We opened our first U-turn retail secondhand shop and laundry, creating valuable work opportunities for our Champions.
2019
We expanded work opportunities for 40 Champions, allowing us to extend our impact even further.
2022
We grew from 7 retail stores to 12, opened 2 warehouses, and expanded our reach to 120 more Champions.
2024
We extended our reach to Jo’burg and opened a few stores, creating more work opportunitie
2025
We launched our eCommerce website and online store, expanding our accessibility and enabling customers to support our work from anywhere.
Life Changing
Impact
South Africa faces one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Our youth are growing up in communities with limited access to education and future employment opportunities, leading many to turn to gangs and addiction. This often results in individuals ending up on the streets or at risk of homelessness.
Six months after graduating from the U-turn programme, we follow up—and our graduates consistently remain sober, employed, and housed.
%
Maintain Sobriety
%
Remain Employed
%