Vodacom Foundation throws weight behind Stepping Stone Hospice

BEST-SELLING author Becca Fitzpatrick was once quoted as saying “sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can”.

In the case of Stepping Stone Hospice in New Market Park, these words rang true when, after their nursing sister was robbed of her cellphones on Wednesday November 2, members of the community and the business fraternity pulled together to get her back online within hours of the robbery.

An unidentified young man entered their in-patient unit at 17:00, asking to use the bathroom. On his way out, and what seems to have been in a split second, he grabbed the two phones from Sr Sheryl Newman’s desk and disappeared. Camera footage of him caught in the act was shared on social media and within hours Stepping Stone Hospice was flooded with acts of support and words of encouragement.

Riona Singh from the Vodacom Foundation in Midrand was tagged by a colleague on Facebook who saw the post. “I was devastated by what I saw and just knew that we as the Vodacom Foundation had to reach out and help,” she says.

On Friday, November 4 Riona and her colleagues visited Sr Newman and the rest of the team at Stepping Stone Hospice, bringing with them not only some delicious cupcakes and Vodacom goodie bags, but also a new Smart Device cellphone for Sr Newman. They did a SIM swap, donated three boxes of new suits as well as personal alarms to be used during an emergency.

“We applaud you and your team for the great work that you do,” Riona told Sr Newman, “and we will most certainly continue with a long and lasting relationship with your organisation. We will assist wherever and whenever we can,” she assured the hospice team. True to her word, on Thursday, November 10 the Vodacom Foundation donated two tablets for the nursing sisters to use on their rounds while visiting patients in the community.

Tersia Burger, CEO at Stepping Stone Hospice, says she is humbled by the outpouring of love and support. “We want to thank you for your kind gesture today,” she told the Vodacom team. “You have given us hope and we are eternally grateful for your support.”

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