GodFirst Christmas market for charity

GodFirst, a Rosebank church will host its Christmas market on 21 November and in the spirit of giving, the market will be in aid of various charities.

Situated in Parktown North, there will be a variety of stalls, from food, crafts, drinks and entertainment for the whole family. The market will also give local artisans a chance to showcase their skills.

One of the stalls at the market will sell food hampers which people can buy as Christmas presents for families in Tembisa.

In 2015, GodFirst Rosebank partnered with GodFirst Tembisa by receiving items for food parcels from its congregation and handing them to the church in Tembisa. This initiative has helped GodFirst Tembisa channel available funds into longer-term empowerment initiatives such as helping some students with furthering their studies by contributing towards registration fees, tuition fees and books.

“GodFirst Tembisa was established in 2009 in an area called Madela, one of the most impoverished areas in the township of Tembisa,” said Liezel Lotz a member of GodFirst Rosebank.

“The congregation consists of about 120 members. They face significant socio-economic challenges, and approximately 20 percent of the congregation have limited or no source of income each month.”

As a result of this the Rosebank church began distributing monthly food parcels in 2011 with the view of providing enough groceries for at least two weeks per month to help fill the gap.

According to Lotz, the life circumstances of beneficiary families vary. Some may be unemployed, or self-employed and not making enough to sustain themselves. They may be labourers waiting outside factories for job opportunities, some may be orphans living with unemployed siblings or grandmothers or have single mothers whose only income is child support grants.

Lotz urges the community to get involved in one of two ways, they can buy food items required for a food parcel on a monthly basis or adopt a family by buying the contents of an entire food parcel each month.

All contributions can be dropped off at the church office, or placed in the large collection box at the church entrance.

The market will start at 3pm and end at 8pm.

Details: www.godfirstchurch.co.za