{"id":67719,"date":"2016-04-10T23:53:19","date_gmt":"2016-04-10T21:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/the-2016-twitter-blanket-drive-tbd2016\/"},"modified":"2016-04-10T23:53:19","modified_gmt":"2016-04-10T21:53:19","slug":"the-2016-twitter-blanket-drive-tbd2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/the-2016-twitter-blanket-drive-tbd2016\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2016 Twitter Blanket Drive #TBD2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"TBD2016\"<\/p>\n

#TBD2016<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Since 2010, the Twitter community in South Africa has been moved by compassion and has engaged the social media platform to collect blankets for some of the country\u2019s most vulnerable people. Over the past 6 years, thousands of blankets have been collected in the weeks leading up to winter to provide some relief and, of course, warmth to those in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us as a Twitter community, social responsibility is a serious business,\u201d says Merentia van der Vent, the national co-ordinator and Cape Town host for the Twitter Blanket Drive (TBD). \u201cAs winter\u2019s bite fast approaches, we are aware that charities are under a huge amount of pressure to meet the demand for blankets. In today\u2019s digital world, we have the power to make significant change, in the area of social development, harnessing the power of social media.\u201d<\/p>\n

The TBD started 7 years ago, in 2010, as a single tweet by Melanie Minnaar, as she contemplated the cold winter ahead and in true Twitter style, tweeted the following thought:\u00a0\u201cwhat if each person on Twitter donated a blanket?\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, the TBD movement has exploded and now has a national footprint with campaign drives taking place in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and the West Coast. Previous years it was also held in Bloemfontein, East London, George, Knysna and Mossel Bay and countries like Zimbabwe & Namibia. This year the official hashtag is #TBD2016.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Instagram community in South Africa, also supported the #TwitterBlanketDrive and collected blankets on their #Instawalks across the country. South Africans are also asked via Facebook to donate blankets.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s fast paced world, using social media to increase community awareness is not only smart, but essential. According to the founder of the campaign, Melanie Minnaar, the\u00a0Twitter Blanket Drive has injected a true sense of community into the South African Twittersphere, as the number of Twitter users involved with the TBD has grown exponentially since 2010. Tens of thousands of blankets have over the years been donated, to those in need.<\/p>\n

Blankets can be dropped off at drop-off zones across the country from 7 April to Thursday 26 May 2016.<\/p>\n

The drop-off zones in Cape Town:<\/strong><\/p>\n