Prayers answered for Amanzimtoti oldies

The Elder’s Voice has been offered the use of a 60-room building in Montclair, owned by the KZN Care Association (Natal Settlers), to house its oldies, much to founder Joanne Herbst’s delight.

Director of Pam Golding Properties Amanzimtoti, Jacques van Schalkwyk came on board to offer assistance and assist with the marketing of this project for The Elder’s Voice.

“I’ve known and worked with Joanne for a while and when I saw her plea on social media for a building to accommodate the oldies, we offered her the use of Thornhill House in Kenyon Howden Road,” said the executive director of KZN Care Associastion, Belinda Naidoo.

“This was a frail care residence for our association, that is 70-years-old, that cares for up to 300 residents in Umbilo. We look after the elderly and adults and children with disabilities. We currently have 39 children living with cerebal palsy. When the number living in Thornhill House started to drop off, we thought we would streamline our operation and moved everyone to Umbilo. The Montclair building has been standing empty since 2017.”

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Although most of what Joanne will need to accommodate 120 oldies, with two per room is there, there is a lot of work to be done before they can move in and this is where the Toti public and businesses are urged to assist. “We have a call to action on Saturday, 14 March,” said Joanne.

“We need donations of cleaning material like mops, brooms, chemicals and machines, hardware such as taps, paint, curtain rails, curtains, fans, globes and cupboards. But more importantly, we need tradesmen such as plumbers, electricians, tilers and carpenters to offer their time and expertise. We also need garden equipment and pest control. There is a Schlinder lift which needs to be serviced and we need a contract to continue to service it.” They also need many hands to clean the whole building, inside and out.

All but about three of the Toti houses will be closed down and the residents moved into the new building. “I have to keep some of the houses open, as there is still a great following in Toti, but it is time to move on. We will use the furniture from the closed houses for the new building.

Logistically it makes it easier to have most of the oldies housed under one room, especially since we have a huge kitchen and a coldroom that will make meal times easier. To be offered a building like this is a dream for us, but we have to make sure it is a sustainable project going forward.”

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If you can donate any goods or offer your time, call Joanne on 079-028-6379 or email theeldersvoice@gmail.com. Donate money to: The Elder’s Voice Pty Ltd, FNB, account number: 62816961743, branch code: 220127, reference your name and cellphone number. Send proof of payment to admin@eldersvoicekzn.co.za.

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