Voltaire said “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”.
We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the CPF for the selfless, yet invaluable, work they are doing in the community.
On August 17, our father, an 85-year-old suffering from Alzheimer’s, visited his neighbour and did not return home.
At the time my mother, his 81-year-old wife, alerted neighbours and us, his children. By that time, it was already dark and cold.
A hopeless task lay ahead and the feeling of despair was indescribable, but our faith in humanity was restored by the angels God sent on our path that evening.
We contacted Denise Curry, the chairperson of Boksburg CPF Sector 1, who was helpful and efficient in mobilising the patrollers.
Within a short period of time we suddenly found more than 20 other CPF vehicles patrolling the area looking for a complete stranger, our father.
Even CPF members of Benoni rendered assistance in various ways.
To cut a long story short, our father was found and taken to Denise’s home, where he waited patiently, wrapped in a blanket with one of her little Yorkie dogs snuggled on his lap, for us to fetch him, while telling the many CPF volunteers “interesting stories” and sipping on a hot cup of coffee.
What impressed us most was the willing and caring nature all of the people involved; nothing was too much trouble and they treated him with absolute respect and dignity.
Words cannot describe our relief and appreciation to all those unknown members of this community who played their part in finding a great gentleman in his twilight years.
These actions tell a story about the fibre of this community, and the passion that will ensure that this remains a great place in which to be a resident.
This traumatic experience has demonstrated to us the value of CPFs, as they are not only the proverbial feet and ears on the ground, but also represent the heart of the community they serve.
We salute all those involved, whether directly and indirectly.
