Residents enjoy Christmas party

A three-course meal and gifts from Santa made the Thembalami Care Centre’s Christmas party extra special.

The Rand Aid Association-run care centre cares for physically and financially vulnerable senior citizens and a host of people came together to ensure the residents were touched by the magic of Christmas on December 4.

Staff members and their families prepared a feast for residents and a group of kind-hearted residents from Inyoni Creek, another Rand Aid complex, ensured that everyone received a gift and some one-on-one attention. Aptly named the Inyoni Angels, these special folk have adopted Thembalami and host a number of functions for residents each year.

Just before 1pm, Father Christmas – aka Inyoni Angel Arthur Haddon, arrived and handed out gift packs consisting of toiletries, coffee creamer, coffee, tea, sugar, sweets, biscuits and a packet with popcorn, dried fruit and nuts. Ms Lynn Hartman, another Inyoni Creek resident, baked each resident a cup cake and bought them each a lunch bar.

“We not only catered for our 131 residents, but also for our 30 gogos – those ladies from Alexandra who visit the care centre each week as part of the Zamokuhle outreach programme, 12 residents and three staff members from the Max Ordman Deaf Association, who will soon be accommodated in a purpose-built centre on Thembalami’s grounds, following a merger between Rand Aid and the association.

“Afterwards, there was enough food to share with the Inyoni Angels and staff. It was a successful day and enjoyed by all,” said Thembalami Complex Manager Ms Elize Raath.

In addition, four staff members from the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) came to visit the Zamokuhle gogos and provided each lady with a food hamper, which was pre-packed and delivered by Makro.

“The gogos were so impressed that they sang and danced for the visitors, and when Santa arrived, they queued up to sit on his lap,” said Ms Raath.