It was in April of this year on the anniversary of my Fathers passing that I came to the realization that in order for me to feel closer to my Dad I needed to get involved in what he loved. After my trip down to Malelane it was decided that I could join the Fund as part of the amazing team.
I moved to Zimbabwe about 8 years ago, I know what you are thinking….. “Why the hell would you do that?” Well, my Husband and Myself want to raise our children somewhere safer than South Africa and the only country that would take us was Zimbabwe., so we packed up our lives and off we were.
Anyway, we are still living in Bulawayo and yes things are hard, way harder than they were when we arrived here. These Pensioners now need our help more than ever before.
We arrived at the warehouse early on the 5th of June, ready to start making our oldies smile. My car is not the biggest on earth so it was going to be a little challenging, but we were up for it. We left the warehouse with a car filled with extremely necessary groceries for Railsteen, Queen Mary and Edith Duly. When we arrived at Railsteen we were extremely warmly welcomed by the amazing staff who were more than ready to receive their long-awaited groceries.
Our next stop was Queen Mary Home and then off to Edith Duly, we deliver bulk grocery items to these amazing homes as well. Upon arrival the staff were so happy that we had arrived with their groceries. It wasn’t too long and we had a few of the oldies keeping me company while all the groceries and medicines were taken inside. They were so grateful for all we were doing and continued telling me all about what they had been up to and how incredibly grateful they were for the work that we were doing.
The next morning we were up early and ready to deliver very much needed grocery boxes to our special residents at Coronation Cottages. It was a very cold morning with just a little bit of sun peeking through the clouds. So when we arrived at Coronation the residents were so pleased to welcome us. One of our first deliveries was to Lorna Heyns, she was incredibly happy to see us and she welcomed us into her home while she unpacked her box. Lorna was so appreciative of all the necessary groceries in her box and explained how hard things have been.
We continued delivering the boxes around Coronation and seeing more and more how these boxes that we deliver make such a huge difference in their lives. One of the other boxes delivered was to Elaine Good and she was so incredibly grateful for her box of groceries along with a treat or two. She told us how she literally counts down the days to our next delivery. It was really amazing to have the opportunity to visit all these amazing individuals and to hear the stories of where they have been and all they have done. We then popped around to Masonic Lodge and dropped of all their groceries and medications as well, the residents were so happy to receive the delivery and made sure that we know how necessary our visits are.
The next two days were spent delivering boxes to all our Bulawayo outsiders and Garden Park. We started really early to try and make sure that we could get groceries delivered to as many of our recipients as possible. There is something so amazing about seeing the smiles and gratefulness on the faces of the oldies when you pull into their driveway with a box of goodies that they so desperately need. When we pulled into Mrs Jenny Broughtons yard she was smiling from ear to ear, so happy to have us there with her box. It wasn’t very long and we pulled out her winter woolies which made her smile even more. She once again asked us to thank each and every one of you that selflessly donate towards the boxes they receive.
We spent the whole day going from one side of Bulawayo to the next, each person happier than the last that we were there. It amazed me how many of our oldies said to me “I didn’t think that you were going to come again”. When I questioned them why they would think that they said that they know how hard things are all over the world and that there is just no money to help get things bought.
We continued our deliveries and our lovely chats to each one of our pensioners. Mr Norman Conway was so happy when we arrived, he absolutely loved his special beanie to keep his head warm.
When we arrived by Reta Wythoff she too told us that she didn’t think that we were going to be coming back. As she unpacked her box of goodies you could see the excitement and joy of receiving such a necessary box of groceries including a lovely, crocheted blanket, a fluffy beanie and some great bead socks.
It was time for one of my favorite deliveries, Mrs Jill Battiss is one of the most amazing, strong and intelligent woman that I have ever met. Unfortunately she had been robbed in her own home a week or so prior to our visit. She was high spirited and full of jokes and story’s as usual. She got all dressed up in all the winter goodies we had brought for her and she gave us the fantastic news that she had finally decided to move into Garden Park for safety and peace of mind. We wish her luck with her move and pray that she settles in without any problems.
Finally it was our last delivery and these two ladies are two of the most genuine, lovely old dolls ever. Sharon and Jeanete Tiernan, these ladies could put a smile on anyone’s face. They were happiest about the bed socks that were knitted for them but just as pleased about their poncho and scarves. As they went through their boxes they didn’t even have to say anything, the joy on their faces was just so overwhelming.
As we were heading back to the warehouse after a long week of delivering the goodies to our pensioners I began to feel so emotional and tearful. The realization of what we had achieved that week was overwhelming in every aspect. Knowing how much the groceries, medications, toiletries and treats meant to each and every person that we delivered to made me feel like I now had a purpose too.
Thank you to each and every one of you that make a donation to the fund.
Head office South Africa contact details:
Linda Schultz – linda@zpsf.co.za – (C) 079 6082676 (T) 013 7900934
Johan Schultz – johan@zpsf.co.za – 082 4979328
Section 21 Co Reg. 2007/034036/08; NPO Number 096733; Section 18A PBO No 930031642
