San Michele Home receives much-needed donation

The San Michele Home in Withok Estates recently received a large industrial tumble dryer as a donation from RNS.

They gave the donors a tour of the facilities as thanks on January 26.

The home, an NPO that accommodates intellectually and physically disabled people, washes and dries several tons of laundry a day, meaning they need as many working machines as possible.

Currently, they have two industrial washing machines and three dryers, along with the new dryer.

The other machines are too old to repair, as many parts for them aren’t made anymore, so when a dryer broke it had to be replaced as soon as possible.

The new dryer is 15% more efficient than the others, which is a huge help for the facility.

San Michele is largely reliant on donations, as funding is a major challenge.

Seventy percent of the home’s funding consists of the subsidy they receive from the state. Twenty percent comes from some of the residents who receive a disability pension, while 10% comes from donors.

“From our side, it’s a huge honour to be able to make a contribution,” said Nico du Plessis, the chairperson of RNS Group.

The official handover on Friday was accompanied by San Michele board members, RNS Group representatives, centre manager Marius Bosman, and attendees received a presentation on the home’s current challenges and goals, as well as what the facility provides.

San Michele has 220 patients, 45 of whom are high-need and require adult diapers and 24-hour care.

The government provides about a third of the adult diapers the home needs in a month, and R15 000 worth of diapers have to be purchased extra by the home.

The home also prepares 660 meals a day, as well as snacks in the evenings for patients to take medicine with.

They receive donations of vegetables and sometimes receive so much that they distribute the excess among other NPOs and organisations.

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Another donation they receive often is clothing, but what’s often missing from these donations is underwear. If underwear is in good shape, well-washed, sanitised and unstained it can still be donated, even if it has been worn.

New underwear can be expensive but is also appreciated.

Bed linen is frequently donated, and well-received, but the home also needs around 120 high-quality standard pillows that can handle rough use. Another heavy-duty item needed is chairs.

The specific types of chairs they use are priced at around R3 000 each but have lasted over a decade of heavy use.

The home only needs around 10 to supplement the current supply.

The home has a sizeable wish list of things they require that they don’t have enough funding for. Funding is currently being focused on testing borehole water to see what type of purification system needs to be installed so the borehole can aid in water supply interruptions, which is a major issue for the home.

The home is also getting quotes for a solar system to mitigate the effects of load-shedding, which has a negative impact on the functioning of the facility and the safety and care of the patients, but current estimates amount to more than R6m.

The home also relies heavily on volunteers for programmes offered to the residents, from art and music therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological assistance, and a doctor who visits the clinic once a week.

The home is working on starting equestrian therapy for patients. A trainer will bring horses to the home, where patients will be identified who will benefit from the therapy, who will then go to the stables weekly to receive riding lessons.

The home also has a library and a tuckshop, and holds many events for the residents to give them an opportunity to take part in normal social events that they are missing out on, like mock weddings and other ceremonies.

There are various religious affiliations that use the chapel on the grounds to give sermons to the patients of their denomination, a gym for paralympic athletes and others who take part in physical therapy, and a soccer field where players from Kwa-Thema occasionally play against residents of the home.

For more information on the needs and wishes of the home, contact San Michele on 010 010 0891.

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