Help the Avril Elizabeth Home better people’s lives
All about the Avril Elizabeth Home.
The Avril Elizabeth Home was first established in 1970, in a small house in Pandora Road, Kensington.
This was the realisation of a dream for social worker Sheila Suttner, who identified a great need for care for those with special needs.
Over the years it has grown from a small home with only a few residents, to a well-established centre that accommodates 150 permanent residents in Fishers’ Hill.
The home’s name originates from a young girl by the name of Avril Elizabeth, who was on the list to be admitted to the facility, but died before this could happen, so it was named after her.
The teddy bear has been the home’s mascot for many years.
The mission at the home is to provide high quality care to the intellectually and physically disabled from all sectors of the community, embracing nursing, physical, emotional and physiological well-being, special education and stimulation, as well as encouraging community participation.
Avril Elizabeth has 150 permanent residents, ranging in age from five to 71 years.
It also offers daycare and a small section which is part of a community outreach.
The complex has four cottages in which the more independent residents live. They have their own rooms and take part in everyday chores, such as washing dishes, etc.
There is also a main home, which is more of a dormitory style set-up.
Residents in this section are more dependent on the staff for their basic needs, such as feeding, going to the toilet, dressing, etc.
The stimulation centre is the busiest part of the facility and is full of the sounds of laughter and children having fun.
It is comprised of six classrooms, all of which are occupied by residential care and daycare residents.
Each class has an individual programme based upon the needs of the residents within the group.
Programmes incorporate basic pre-primary activities such as colouring, drawing, painting and identification of numbers and shapes.
The home also runs a large number of other programmes which help to keep the residents stimulated and entertained.
As you can imagine it is a huge responsibility to run an organisation such as the Avril Elizabeth Home and it is a constant struggle to get donations.
Of the total number of residents, 75 are either orphaned, abandoned or from indigent backgrounds and rely on the home for their care, which places extra pressure on the home’s finances.
Donations of any kind are greatly appreciated, every little bit helps.
Avril Elizabeth is always in need of toiletries such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, facecloths, cream, Vaseline, toothbrushes, deodorants, air freshener, aqueous cream, shaving foam, razors and cotton wool.
Items such as disposable gloves, furniture polish, bleach, Handy Andy, brooms, mops, bath mats, pine gel, powder soap, Savlon and antiseptic ointment.
Non-perishable food items such as rice, tea, coffee, sugar, flour, maize meal, samp, corn flakes, bran flakes, powdered milk, peanut butter, jam, salt, macaroni, tinned items such as beans and vegetables, oil, juice, custard, jelly and oats, to name a few, are always needed.
Toys, colouring books, jumbo crayons and musical nursery rhymes are also welcome.
They also welcome secondhand and new books, as well as clothing.
The home is currently in need of someone to renovate and re-do the bathrooms in two of the cottages.
Monetary donations can be made using the following details: Account holder: Avril Elizabeth Home; Bank: Standard Bank; Branch: Malvern, Johannesburg; Branch code: 00 51 05; Account number: 002 44 77 38; Reference: Your contact details.
The home thanks its faithful supporters, donors, parents and dedicated staff, for helping it to make all the work it does possible.
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