Making a difference is second nature to Shirley and Shaun
Met Shirley and Shaun - the duo who is always busy with some kind of community project.
LOCH VAAL. – Shirley and Shaun Groves believe that you should help if you can. As Shirley says: “With great privilege comes great responsibility.”
Besides, they enjoy doing community projects. Every year they are at least involved in two projects. Through their Keep Warm Vaal project, more than 300 blankets have been made and distributed.
“In the past, the blankets were mostly for children, but I’m already working on blankets that will be big enough for adults for next year,” she explains. Nowadays the Golden Triangle of Commerce distributes their blankets on their behalf.
On their small holdings, a variety of ducks, peacocks, chickens, and dogs can be seen strolling in the garden or relaxing in the sun. Most of them are rescues.
Inside the house, one of the rooms is being transformed into a library. “Shaun’s mother recently passed away. She loved reading and had over 2000 books. We are now working on establishing a reading garden and a library with all mom’s books,” Shirley explains.
“People will be able to come in free of charge, borrow a book and go and sit in the garden to read and relax.”
The “reading garden” will consist of most of the small holdings, from the olive orchard on the one side, straight down to the river.
The berry and flower gardens are taking shape, the koi-dam will be expanded and there will even be a bonsai house. “We hope to have everything ready in time for what would have been Mom’s 86th birthday in March next year.”
Apart from the reading garden and library project, they are also involved, among other things, in the annual Toy Run from Pretoria. “When we collect toys, we make sure we get hold of the names and ages of the children. Each toy is gift-wrapped with the child’s name on it. That makes it extra special,” Shaun explains.
They are also involved in making up food parcels for shelters, stationary drives, and collecting and distributing blankets, thari-wraps, hats, and booties to the local neo-natal units.
Helping others is second nature to them. “We used to grow veggies on our pavement in Weltevredenpark many moons ago,” Shirley laughs.
The two of them are always busy. Shaun has his own company, IQ Instruments, and Shirley is kept busy with the community projects as well as two of their grandchildren living with them in the week to attend school in the area.
“I’m busy painting the numbers and alphabet on the school gates. It looks cool, but it’s hard work,” she says with a huge smile, and you can see she loves every moment.
Shaun agrees, and it is easy to see that this dynamic duo really enjoys making a difference in other people’s lives.
