Great support for ‘Door of Hope’.
Thank you for helping Door of Hope care for abandoned, abused and orphaned babies and children
IN commemoration of Mandela Day the COURIER chose Door of Hope as the beneficiary for this year’s charity proceeds from Mandela Day and proudly handed over a total of R4 400.05 to the home manager, Celestine Kyangana, on July 18.
For the past few weeks the COURIER pleaded with readers and businesses to help Door of Hope do the good work they do. The amount was raised through the charity drive and was donated on behalf of The Glen Shopping Centre (Oakdene), Clifton Tailors (Mondeor), Simpsons Little Learners Academy (Aspen Hills), Gym Company (Winchester Hills) and Balwin Properties (Edenvale).
Situated on 15 Barbara Avenue in Glenvista, the organisation aims to home abandoned, abused and orphaned babies and children. The caring and devoted staff provide a temporary Christian home for all babies and children, whilst seeking a ‘forever’ family, suitable long-term foster care, or other permanent care for each one so that they may grow up to be people who have a positive affect on South Africa and the world.
About Door of Hope
‘Door of Hope’ began in 1999 as an initiative of the Berea Baptist Mission Church. While based in the inner-city of Johannesburg, Pastor Cheryl Allen and the church leaders discovered that scores of babies were being abandoned each month and that many of them died. Cheryl realised many of the desperate women and girls would probably have acted differently, had there been an alternative.
The church made a hole in their wall and a ‘Baby Bin’ was installed which allows mothers to leave their babies in the care of the church at any time of the day or night. The moment a baby is placed, care workers on duty receive an electronic signal alerting them. The baby is taken in and the anonymity of the ‘donor’ ensured. News has spread and other babies have been brought in personally by their mothers, or have come through other means such as the police, community members, hospitals or clinics.
From humble beginnings
By faith and reliance on God, and from small, humble beginnings, the ministry has grown and seen hundreds of children’s lives being saved. In 2014, Cheryl’s two sons Richard and David, also felt compelled to commit their time and energies to the work of saving abandoned babies. In recent days the need in South Africa has become all the more urgent because abandonment continues to increase and adoptions have decreased by as much as 50% in recent years. Richard and David joined the Door of Hope team at the start of 2015 to seek a solution to this unfortunate reality. In order to provide a home for children that are not being matched with ‘forever’ families, they began pursuing the idea of creating a village.
The village idea has gathered momentum and continues driving forward the quest to ‘bring children home’ and build people of character in a new and better world. The Door of Hope operates a number of delightful baby homes – not institutions – where babies enjoy the loving care of caregivers and volunteers. There are two homes: one is based in Glenvista and the other is based in Berea.
Land for The Village has been purchased and will be a space where those children who don’t get adopted, will find a home and a family who will raise them with love and care. Numerous homes will be built and house parents will care for up to six abandoned children in each dwelling.
At any one time, The Door of Hope shelters between 58 and 72 babies ranging in age from newborn to 24 months.
READ:
For free daily local news in the south, visit our sister newspapers Alberton Record, Comaro Chronicle, Southern Courier and Get it Joburg South Magazine.
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You can also email our offices on cvdwalt@caxton.co.za, juliem@caxton.co.za or luckyt@caxton.co.za
Add us on WhatsApp today! Alberton Record: 060 644 5264 Comaro Chronicle: 079 427 8074 and Southern Courier: 079 404 5789.
