News From The Field

Of Special Interest: 

Changing circumstances in our country are forcing us to adapt to the various needs of the community. It will be noticed from the field reports below that Meals on Wheels is fast becoming a community service rather than the exclusive service for the aged that it once was. It is for this reason that Meals on Wheels Community Services has now been instituted, with the various regional Meals on Wheels For The Aged services operating as satellites of this national umbrella body.

Report From The Johannesburg
Southern Suburbs Branch

We have just recently started delivering 80 meals twice a week to one of the local schools. This follows an urgent appeal from the school headmaster who had discovered that these 80 children where coming to school hungry on most days. 

Cathy Blake our livewire director of the Southern Suburbs Branch

Having been approached by the Salvation Army, we are now supplying them with specially prepared meals for AIDS patients who are in their care. In order to preserve the dignity of these patients, the Salvation Army staff are collecting and delivering these meals.

One of our voluntary helpers, a pensioner, has not received his pension for some months. This left him in a situation where he was unable to pay his rent. We are glad to report that a commercial organization is now sponsoring R500-00 per month and has agreed to do so until the problem with his pension payout has been resolved.

On the matter of pension payouts, we need to report that a number of Senior Citizens on our delivery route are no longer receiving their pensions. One elderly couple who care for their handicapped son are having to survive on the son's disability pension - and the help of Meals on Wheels of course.

Please pass on our grateful thanks to all who are sponsoring meals. Without their help, we could never carry on this service of mercy.

News From The Cape

First of all our heartfelt thanks to our supporters. It is indeed encouraging to know that there are people who think as we do and who care as we do. Believe me, what is taking place in the Cape Area is nothing short of a miracle. We are truly grateful for your backing.

One of our primary goals is to help people at large to realise that our Senior Citizens deserve to be recognised as valuable national assets. They deserve to be respected and lauded for their achievements and for the important contribution that they have made, and that they continue to make. We should not allow their present circumstances to dim our view of the many productive years that they have contributed to our economy, to society and to our world. Many of our older `old friends’ went to war for this country and for the Allied cause - they entered that war for their country and their countrymen. As we bask in our present freedoms, can we ever forget those who risked their all in order to secure freedom for future generations?

Five Seniors Citizens from the Tygerberg Meals On Wheels Service Centre decided that it was time for the aged to do something special for the young. In their spare time they sought sponsorships and gathered together "a literal mountain" of toys and clothing for the needy children at the Tygerberg Hospital. Said Mrs Helene Louw, Senior Social Worker at Tygerberg Hospital, "We were deeply and emotionally touched by this wonderful act of caring." (Which only goes to prove the point - Senior Citizens are quite capable of weaving strong and colourful threads into the tapestry of society.)

The Tygerberg Meals on Wheels Service Centre now has a proud record of over 30 years of service to the community. The latest addition to their lineup of special services is a mobile clinic that has been specially equipped to provide primary health care to the elderly and needy in the community. Dubbed `Health on Wheels,’ the mobile clinic offers a wide variety of medical services including consultations, guidance, first aid, blood pressure, pulse rate, cholesterol and temperature tests. Basically the clinic serves as a screening facility and, wherever necessary, Senior Citizens receive counsel and are referred to appropriate professional help. The unit has been inspected and approved by the Health Department. It is manned by a registered senior health care worker. So far the clinic has enjoyed such success that a second vehicle has been donated for use in the Boland area.

Recently a special tea was held at the Parow Civic centre to raise funds for Meals on Wheels For The Aged. Many donations and sponsorships were received and a wonderful time was had by all. The mayor of Parow welcomed the quests. Amorè Bekker served as compère and Mary Holroyd of Weigh-Less acted as the main speaker - giving valuable tips on weight control. Most of the guests were ladies, but there was one gentleman who stole all of the hearts . . . Manuel Escorcio was the guest artist and he sang his special brand of magic into the event. Sponsors were also given an opportunity to display and to advertise their products and services and much positive feedback was received. Our special thanks go out to the Meals On Wheels voluntary helpers who worked tirelessly to make this event such a great success. Once again we were touched by your unselfishness and your genuine concern for the plight of the elderly in our country.

Thanks to a special Meals on Wheels initiative, 640 Senior Citizens enjoyed a train trip to Simonstown. Lunch packs were donated by the Mayor of Cape Town. Some enjoyed their lunch on the beach while the less mobile were served and entertained on the train. The rest of the day was spent sight-seeing. A visit to the Naval Museum was greatly enjoyed by all. A tired but very happy group of `old friends’ were returned home in the afternoon.

Report submitted by Okkie Oosthuizen,
Cape Area Director