The Edenvale Care Centre Hospice, which has been helping people in their darkest hour since 2002, was recently on the receiving end of community goodwill.
As the hospice has not received its small grant from the Department of Health for a year, it has been relying on fundraising and donations from the public to assist its patients.
Residents and staff from Rand Aid’s Elphin Lodge retirement village and Ron Smith Care Centre (RSCC) thus joined forces to bring in much-needed donations for the hospice and its patients, as its Mandela Month project.
Everyone went all out to assist, donating 20 boxes of groceries, four boxes of clothes, 40 comfort bears and 47 blankets for the patients, and four dozen cupcakes for the patients, staff and helpers.
“Edenvale Care Centre Hospice’s manager Marlene Hooper said she didn’t expect such a large donation of groceries or the lovely handmade blankets, teddy bears and cupcakes. She was amazed and delighted with the donation,” says Debbie Christen, Rand Aid’s manager of recreational programmes.
“The care centre’s chef Maureen Khumalo was over the moon as we unloaded box after box of groceries. When we started to unpack, she said the hospice would now not have to buy groceries for several months,” she adds.
All the donations were received with deep gratitude and appreciation. “Thank you to everyone at Elphin Lodge and RSCC for your kind and generous giving. You certainly made a big difference for Edenvale Care Centre Hospice and its patients,” says Debbie.
