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Frequently Asked
Questions
(Regarding Our Meal Sponsorship Programme)
How does the meal sponsorship
programme work?
For just R15-00, we will deliver a well balanced,
nourishing meal to the home of a needy pensioner. You may sponsor just as many
meals each month as your budget will allow. R180-00 monthly is a full
sponsorship as it covers the full cost of the +/- 12 meals that we deliver each
month to a pensioner.
Each month your sponsorship is transferred
electronically via
the bank’s Automated Clearing Bureau. This bureau "clears" the transaction and
transfers the amount of your sponsorship from your account into the Meals on
Wheels Sponsorship Account. You will identify the transaction on your bank
statement by the words, "Meals on Wheels - Thank You."
This is a casual arrangement - it is NOT binding
in any way.
Prior to any
transaction taking place, we will mail you a letter of confirmation.
How do I cancel my sponsorship?
You may cancel the arrangement with immediate
effect at any time by phone, by fax, by email or by letter. You will not be
asked to give any reason for the cancellation and you will not be expected to
give any notice of cancellation. Cancellations made prior to the 20th of the
month will not be processed in the month following.
Is it not risky to give my bank details
over the telephone?
The details you supply are simply the details
that appear on your cheque. It is no more risky supplying these details over the
phone than it is putting a cheque in the mail. Meals on Wheels is a "registered
merchant" with Multidata/SANLAM (our electronic funds transfer bureau), and
only registered and recognised bureaus such as Multidata/SANLAM can submit these details
to the bank - and this ONLY under very strict and limited conditions.
Can’t I just send a donation by mail
every now and then?
While we certainly do appreciate every cent that
we receive, charities can no longer survive on this method of fund-raising as it
has become very costly, very wasteful and very risky. For every twenty appeal
letters that we mail out we receive one response, which means that the one
response has to be offset by the cost of at least twenty letters (about R40.00).
In our case, the commitment that we make to a
needy pensioner is always an ongoing commitment and, as such, it is very
difficult to make such a commitment on the strength of donations that we may or
may not receive in the mail from time to time.
On what authority do you initiate the
sponsorship?
By special arrangement with
Multidata/SANLAM (our electronic funds transfer bureau), we make a
voice recording of our conversation with you. According to banking legislation,
this recording is perfectly acceptable as your authorization.
How may I learn more about the Meals on Wheels
service?
You may phone our Central Coordinating Office
during working hours at 0860 000 700 (ask for Erika Botha). Erika will be happy
to answer your questions and/or to mail you a copy of our "Total Care Solution"
brochure.
Is Meals On Wheels a National Service?
Yes, at this time we have over 80 branches
throughout South Africa. These branches are delivering and serving almost 2 million meals annually to disadvantaged Senior Citizens. Most of the meal
preparation, the driving, and the "hopping" is undertaken by voluntary helpers.
Thanks to our large voluntary workforce, we are able to keep our overheads to a minimum.
Why do
you need my ID Number?
Because our future depends on our keeping in
contact with those who have the cause of the struggling aged at heart, we like
to keep a record of your id number because it is the only number that will not
change in years to come. [Should you change your address, we will be able to
re-establish contact with you via your ID number.] In time to come, when we
have the technology to do so, we would also like to send all of our supporters a
birthday wish every year.
OK, where do we go from here?
Thank you for caring.
If we have already phoned you, then a staff
member from our Central Coordinating office will be contacting you in the near
future to discuss your sponsorship and to answer any further questions that you
may have. In the unlikely event that they do not manage to make contact with
you in the next week or so, please email us or telephone Erika at 0860 000
700.
If we have not telephoned you, then please make contact with us
either by telephone, by fax or by E-Mail.
We look forward to joining hands with you for the
sake of our struggling elderly community.
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