Rand Aid Association’s Ron Smith Care Centre, represented by staff members Debbie Christen and Salina Mtshali, and volunteer, Claudette Theunissen, was able to finally deliver crocheted sleeping mats and blankets to the homeless and needy in Krugersdorp on 4 June.
The mats were made out of recycled plastic bags, which were cut into strips and wound into balls of yarn.
The activity, Ron Smith Care Centre’s Hearts and Hands for the Homeless Project, kicked off in March 2020, but ground to a halt a few weeks later due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
The blankets were part of an ongoing recreation programme, which sees squares being knitted and then sewn together by volunteers to make blankets.
For over a year, Ron Smith Care Centre residents and staff intermittently worked on the initiative, through many disruptions and the ever-changing circumstances of lockdown.
“Finally, and just in time for the winter cold snap, 14 mats and 45 blankets were handed over to the WAS Foundation’s Rainbow Haven in Krugersdorp with our love and best wishes, especially to each person who received these gifts from us,” says Debbie.
“It was amazing that Ron Smith Care Centre’s staff and residents were able to persevere through all the disruptions and use this time during lockdown to try and make a difference. It was wonderful to meet our goal, despite the challenge of dealing with Covid-19, and so heart-warming to be able to contribute to the comfort and well-being of those who are less fortunate,” she adds.
