Help hospice touch lives

You can help make a difference and it all starts with a hearty donation. Last year in February the Hospice Charity Shop opened its doors to the community. In January this year three new friendly faces were welcomed at the store. Adri Alborough, Bruce Crathorne and Verna Loubser run the Estcourt Hospice Charity Shop.

Bruce Crathorne is also a member of the Estcourt Hospice Association Board. The Charity Shop forms an essential part of fundraising efforts for the Estcourt Hospice Association (EHA). The Hospice Charity Shop, which is located in Victoria Street at the Methodist Church Yard is one of the initiatives to generate income.

All hospice care is offered free to patients and their families. There is no government funding to hospices, which means they depend entirely on donations from the community they serve or from the writing of proposals to various organisations and businesses.

The income generated from the sales enables the EHA to provide and promote home-based care and bereavement support to patients with a life threatening illness, their families and others, through direct patient care, liaison with strategic partners, training, mentorship and supervision.

The trio make sure the shop is clean and tidy, mend goods, make sales and marks prices on the items donated amongst their other duties.
The shop has three security cameras and footage is viewed on a monitor, the cameras were installed after reports of theft at the charity shop.

The trio would like to highlight that the Hospice Charity Shop is independent and has no affiliation with the Methodist Church. The EHA rents the building from the church. Funds collected by sales made at the shop go towards rent and to offer palliative care to patients, support to patients and family members, monitoring of medication of those suffering from HIV/Aids, cancer and other life threatening illnesses.

Customers can look forward to seeing items dedicated to Easter. The shop recently had items on sale with a Valentine’s Day theme.
The motto Adri has given the shop is: “Why bin it? When you can donate it.”

Items the shop needs:
Chairs. Tables. Coat hangers. Beer crates. Lighting. Shelves. Plastic shopping bags. Tins and baskets.

Items the shop needs for sales:
Some of the shops fast sellers are English and isiZulu bibles, shoes and toys.
At the moment there is a shortage of: household goods. Infants clothing/ toddlers clothing. Shoes. Menswear. Kitchenware. Toys. CD’s. Large water bottles and glass jars.

Shopping hours:
Monday – Friday 9am – 3pm if possible the store stays open until 4pm. Saturdays 9am – 12pm if possible the store stays open later than 12pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays

Ways to give: How can I support the Hospice Shop?
Become a Hospice Charity Shop customer: If you are looking for just about anything from books to clothing, toys and kitchenware, among the rest, pop in at the store at take a look, chances are you will stumble upon a few great finds.

Donate unwanted goods:
Do you have any second hand clothing, books, wool, material or any other household goods that you no longer have a use for? Stop by and donate them to the Charity Shop. Whether it is clothing, furniture, unwanted toys, tools, kitchenware or books they are all welcome.
The Hospice Charity Store team request that the items to be in good working condition and clean when dropped off at the shop.

Contact the Charity Shop on 063 071 2509 to arrange for your unwanted items to be collected.

Become a shop volunteer: The EHA is looking for four people willing to volunteer their time and services to the shop.

All applicants will be interviewed. If you are interested contact the association’s Clinical Manager, Rena Licen on 082 557 7374.
On behalf of the EHA, Adri, Bruce and Verna would like to thank everyone who have generously donated and supported the shop.