{"id":221541,"date":"2019-10-25T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/221541\/sisters-hope-to-make-christmas-a-little-brighter-for-the-elderly\/"},"modified":"2019-10-25T09:11:42","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T07:11:42","slug":"sisters-hope-to-make-christmas-a-little-brighter-for-the-elderly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2019\/10\/25\/sisters-hope-to-make-christmas-a-little-brighter-for-the-elderly\/","title":{"rendered":"Make it a cracker of a Christmas for the elderly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five years ago three sisters, Lornette Joseph, Coral Bowler and Mandy Whitehead, decided to make Christmas a little brighter for the elderly with a special Christmas gift.<\/p>\n

In the first year the sisters, along with their families, bought 35 gifts for the residents of Elandsvallei Home for the Aged in Primrose.<\/p>

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From there, the project grew and soon the trio decided to include the Gerald Fitzpatrick Home for Ladies, and the number of gifts increased from 35 to 105.<\/p>\n

Realising they couldn\u2019t tackle this task alone, the sisters decided to open the project up to friends and family to assist.<\/p>

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\u201cEvery year so far, the Christmas Cracker project has grown, with more people coming on board and spreading more joy to the elderly,\u201d said Lornette.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2018, despite wanting to reach 400 elderly people, we donated gifts to just over 300 residents of old-age facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project is not just about the gifts though, it is also about spending a few precious moments with the residents to share an ice cream or a laugh.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSome of the people we speak to are just so grateful to spend time with us,\u201d said Mandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is sad to see how many people have just been put in an old-age home by their family and forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the project grew, the sisters, along with their friend Wendy McNally, made the decision to register a non-profit organisation (NPO) called TenderHeart Foundation, which has the Christmas Cracker as its registered project.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people don\u2019t give us gifts, but prefer to deposit money into our bank account.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did not feel that it was right not to be a registered NPO.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would like to grow the TenderHeart Foundation into other avenues, which we will look at in the new year,\u201d explained Lornette.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll funds get put back into the Christmas Cracker project,\u201d said Mandy.<\/p>\n

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Collections for this year\u2019s Christmas Cracker project have begun, and TenderHeart Foundation is already thrilled with the support it has received.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only do we have a number of drop-off points this year, but we also have a number of amazing community members who are helping with the collection and coordination of the gifts,\u201d said Lornette.<\/p>\n

Shelley Hutton and Wendy are based in the Kensington area, Danielle Matthews covers the Primrose area, Lyn Opie is tackling the Lambton area, while Lornette, Mandy and Coral, along with their spouses, are covering the remaining areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really couldn\u2019t do the work we do without the help of these amazing people,\u201d said Coral.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur families and friends have become huge supporters of our cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coral further explained that while it is preferred that people donate full bags, the organisation is grateful for any donations towards completing a bag.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything that someone wishes to give will be fantastic because then it means we don\u2019t have to buy that specific item. Every little bit helps,\u201d Coral said.<\/p>\n

This year the team hopes to reach as many elderly residents as possible and they are appealing to the community to make this dream a reality.<\/p>\n

Community members are asked to donate bags filled with:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 A face cloth.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Soap.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Aqueous cream\/Vaseline.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Toothpaste.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Toothbrush.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Powder.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Deodorant.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tasty treats (biscuits or soft sweets).<\/p>\n

\u2022 An item of clothes (socks, gloves or scarves).<\/p>\n

\u2022 A little gift, for example, playing cards, puzzle books (like Suduko or crossword puzzles), adult colouring books, a medicine organiser\/pill box, a memory journal and pen, a broach, a torch, a fridge magnet photo frame, a key finder, a glasses holder, a cellphone bag or a sweetie jar.<\/p>\n

The items should be placed into a normal plastic bag and clearly marked male or female.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team of helpers will place the collected items into printed fabric bags,\u201d said Lornette.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really don\u2019t want people to go to the extra expense or hassle of finding gift bags or boxes, so we have arranged for fabric Christmas bags to be printed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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TenderHeart Foundation has several drop-off points where community members can drop off their Christmas Cracker bags. They include:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Germiston City News, Joburg East Express and Bedfordview and Edenvale News offices, located at 25 Main Road in Fishers\u2019 Hill.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Country Flowers, located at 150 Queen Street in Kensington.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tame Times Alberton, located at 91 Michelle Avenue and Sangiro Close in Randhart.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Majestic Nursery, located at 90 Webber Road in Lambton.<\/p>\n

\u2022 DeadBird Tattoo, located at Cedar Corner, corner of First Avenue and Webber Road in Lambton.<\/p>\n

\u2022 FNB Conference and Learning Centre, located at 114 Grayston Drive in Sandown.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sugars Bakery, located at 118 Terrace Road in Edenvale.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Mirivi, located at 32 Vuurslag Road in Spartan Extension 16.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tattoo World, located at East Rand Traders Square, 4 Frank Road in Bardene.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bin will be placed at all the locations,\u201d said Lornette.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese drop-off points generally work normal working hours from Monday to Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, Majestic Nursery, Country Flowers and DeadBird Tattoo will also be available on Saturday mornings.<\/p>\n

\u201cMembers from the TenderHeart Foundation will also be present at the Majestic Nursery final night market for the year on November 29, where we will collect either items or complete bags.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make cash donations, community members can use the following banking details:<\/p>\n

Account Name: Tenderheart Foundation<\/p>\n

Branch name and code: Wadeville, 251542<\/p>\n

Account Number: 62829445239<\/p>\n

Please use your name and Christmas Cracker (CC) as a reference.<\/p>\n

The collection will close on December 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cHanding over a small gift to the men and women in the homes has brought us so much joy and we couldn\u2019t do it without the help of the public,\u201d said Lornette.<\/p>\n

For more information on Tenderheart Foundation or the project, call Lornette on 083 847 4510 or send an email to Ccracker15@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, visit the Christmas Cracker Facebook page (https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/ccracker\/) for more details.<\/p>\n

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Hav<\/strong>e a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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