Until recently we have been using a spare room in the priest’s house at St. Joseph’s in Howick for storing donations of clothes, blankets, computers, wheelchairs and crutches. We have now been allocated a place in the garage where we were able to build our own storeroom. This gives us a central area which is much more convenient and accessible.
One of our parish members, Kathleen Luke, brought us a most generous gift of knitted jerseys, beanies, booties and shawls from an SSVP Conference in Durban. These were packed up into 70 different parcels and handed out at the annual Day of Reconciliation celebration for some 200 children at the informal settlement of Shiyabasi.
In addition to food, gifts of stationery collected by Gloria and Leanne through kind donations from the parish were distributed. It was a most successful day with a lot of happiness spread to the parents and children. As you can see (left), children had a great time playing on the jumping castle, and a little girl who received a knitted backpack, tried it on for size.
Have you any wool?
Kathleen is asking for donations of wool, as the ladies in Durban are delighted to go on knitting as long as they have the materials. Kathleen will take any donated wool to Durban on one of her frequent visits.
Food vouchers
St. Vincent de Paul has been buying and distributing food parcels for the less fortunate for several years. We have now changed to monthly food vouchers purchased through PnP downtown at the value of R120 per person. This means that the recipient of a voucher can choose what they would like to buy, rather than having the standard package of mealie meal, beans, soup powder, sugar and tea. The voucher cannot be spent on clothes, cigarettes or alcohol and does not have to be spent all at one time. Results so far have been very positive.
Woolworths continues to support St. Joseph’s pre-school with weekly sell-by food and we are most grateful for this valuable contribution to the children’s welfare.
Thank you
A big thank you goes to all the parishioners for their generosity during this last year. We have a donation box under the notice-board at the entrance to the church if you would like to contribute to the food vouchers. Please contact Rosemary on tel 033 330 2844 or email svdphowick@gmail.com
Conference area: Howick, Hilton, Mooi River
President: Sr. Lesley van Duffelen
Vice-president: Sr. Joicelyn Leslie-Smith
Treasurer: Br. Robert Forrester
Secretary: Sr. Rosemary Forrester
Committee: Brs. Aubrey Mack, Thomas Shelembe, Peter Hodgson, Sr. Leanne Williams