For non-profit organisations (NPOs), any donation, no matter how big or small can make a world of difference and when people come together to support a cause it can be difficult for the organisations to contain their emotions.
This was the case for Patty Ogle, founder of the Ogle Foundation on Tuesday, 8 December.
Patty was quietly working at her day job selling cars at Integra Motors when she received a call from Kirsten Long from the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch (RNW).
Kirsten explained that RNW, Absolut Security and the Roodepoort Police had heaps of clothing for children and adults that they would like to donate to the organisation.
Some donations had come from generous community members who had dropped them off at the RNW Ops Room, but most of them came from Care 4 Charity (owned by Sherill and Jonny Fouché), a second-hand store in Roodekrans that use their profits to support people in need.
“Uncle Jonny and Aunty Sherill are unbelievable. No matter what it is, they will try to make a plan to give,” said Kirsten.
When Captain Juanita Yorke, the Roodepoort Police spokesperson contacted Kirsten to ask if RNW had any clothing to donate and she said yes, Captain Yorke sent through an article written about the Ogle Foundation in the Record. After reading about the Foundation and Patty’s plans for Christmas Eve, RNW decided that the Ogle Foundation would make a great beneficiary for the donation.
Captain Yorke and Chaplain Lukas Visagie from the Roodepoort Police’s Victim Support Centre, brought their own donations and met Kirsten at the RNW Ops room where they decided to do a joint handover of everything. Just before leaving to drop off the donations, Absolut Security also said that they had clothes they would like to donate and quickly joined the mini-convoy to the corner of Corlett Avenue and Ontdekkers Road.
Patty could not contain her excitement and was jumping and laughing long before everyone got to her. When she saw the donations, her emotions overwhelmed her and she burst into tears while trying to say thank you.
All of the clothing and shoes had also been organised and packaged into little gift packs separated by age groups and gender so when Patty handed them out on Christmas Eve at her feeding initiative, it made it a lot easier to make sure that people got what they needed.
Thank you so so much to everyone who made this possible. It is going to be a good Christmas, said Patty on the day.
It certainly was …
