Last Tuesday, Joy Hamann from the Randfontein Publicity Association (RPA), visited a group of women at the Elna Shop, where they were busy knitting squares for blankets, beanies and bed socks for the RPA’s Winter Charity Drive.
The blanket squares, together with others donated by members of the public, will be joined together by RPA member, Magriet van der Hoven.
The RPA, a non-profit organisation and organiser of the annual Randfontein Show, is deeply committed to social upliftment and prides itself on being able to give something back to the community it serves.
Since the inception of the Randfontein Show over 30 years ago, the organisers have made a contribution to local (and national) charities and service organisations on an annual basis. Various fundraising events take place each year and the beneficiaries vary every year.
For the 2017 Charity Drive, the RPA has already bought 100 blankets and food to make up approximately 30 food parcels for different organisations that support people in need.
Charities who received blankets and food parcels from the RPA in 2016 were:
• Trudy’s Nest – Toekomsrus
• Sisi Gogo Drop-in Centre and Home-based Care – Mohlakeng
• St Johns Orphans – Mohlakeng
• Healing Ziza Bantu Home-based Care – Mohlakeng
• Church of the Nazarene Vacation Bible School – Toekomsrus
• Various individual families as identified by members of the community
• Some homeless people
• Several recylers who go through other people’s rubbish in search of items to sell
Other organisations that have benefited from the Randfontein Show / RPA programmes over the years include:
• Rainbow Day Care Centre for physically and mentally disabled children
• The Heart & Stroke Foundation Children’s Programme
• Connie Mulder Centre for Physically and Mentally Challenged Adults
• Bethany House (Home for abused and abandoned children)
• Matla A Bana (A Voice against Child Abuse)
• Carryou Ministry (AIDS orphans and home-based care)
• City of Refuge (Drug and alcohol addiction)
• SA Guide Dog Association for the Blind
• Hillside Care Centre (for the homeless and infirm)
• Randfontein Golf Youth Development Fund
• Huis Eldad (orphans and abandoned children)
• Child Welfare (Toekomsrus branch)
• Friendship Haven (for the aged)
• A-Re-Ageng Social Services Prayer Day for Women
• NG Welsyn
• CANSA
• Randfontein SPCA
• Cradle of Hope
•Turning Point of Hope
• Distribution of indigenous trees to registered NGOs and local parks
•WAWA – Women Against Women and Child Abuse
• Elandsvlei Drop-in Centre – Christmas Project (Carryou Ministry)
• St Joseph’s Anglican Church Soup Kitchen – Toekomsrus.
• Annebel Foundation (Outreach programme for underprivileged girls)
• St Johns Orphans Shoe-Box Christmas Campaign (2016)
• Old Oak Hospice ( March 2017)
In 2014 and 2015 the RPA hosted Knit-A-Thons that brought residents from the Mohlakeng, Toekomsrus and Randfontein Old Age Homes together in a community project in which they made scarves and caps for the Winter Charity Drive.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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