The Donovan MacDonald Retirement Village was decorated in red and white on 14 February, creating an air of expectation for the day’s activities to start.
Carin van Rooyen, who was recently crowned as Mrs Africa Earth SA, organised a morning of snacks, drinks, entertainment and sharing of love for the residents at the centre. “I spoke to my grandmother, who is also a resident at the centre, and she said to me that she hated Valentine’s Day, because she always feels so lonely after my grandfather died. She said she does not feel special on this day at all,” Carin said.
It was this statement that made her decide to do something special for the residents of the centre to make them feel loved. “I thought I would like to do something for the residents, as many of them were just dropped off by their children, never to hear from them again. All of the centre’s residents only receive a state pension, and cannot always afford to spoil themselves. I wanted to spend the day with them and just give some of my time, because it is all they really want and need. It does not take much to make them happy,” she said.
Carin said that most of the day’s snacks and drinks were sponsored by Freshouse and the community, and she only had to contribute one platter of food. She spent the morning chatting to the senior citizens, painting the women’s nails and just loving them. “I grew up in Roodepoort and I thought this event would be the perfect opportunity for me to give back to the community,” she said.
The residents were all in agreement that they were excited and grateful for the opportunity to attend this special event. Peet and Ina Strydom, who have been married for 30 years, said it was a very nice gesture from Carin to host the Valentine’s Day tea. “We cannot afford to do something special for this day, and the function was the perfect way for us to also celebrate our love for each other. Our wish for Carin is that she will be blessed in everything she does,” they said.
The centre’s oldest resident, Martie Smith, who is 93 years old, was also in attendance, and said she was very happy that they were chosen to be spoilt. Mary Bernhardi said the function was an absolute blessing. “I thank the Lord for Carin, who is the granddaughter of one of our own residents. It is lovely that she went to all the trouble to organise this for us,” she said.
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