For most people, retirement is a time to slow down, but for 84-year-old Minnie van der Klashorst, it is another day of serving others.

From a modest house in Sky Street, Cason, Boksburg, she continues to feed the hungry, care for children and give hope to struggling families through Samaritaan Huis, the non-profit organisation she founded in 2002. She still works alongside her daughter, Mari Russell, and granddaughter.

“It is not our glory; it is God’s glory,” says Minnie. “Everything you see here is because God provides.”

Samaritaan Huis has become a lifeline for many families in the community, operating an early childhood development (ECD) centre, a feeding scheme and several outreach programmes. Hot meals are served every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to children, elderly residents and struggling families.

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A calling to serve
Minnie’s journey into community work began while she and her husband were living in Cape Town, where they had planned to retire.
“We saw families going to bed hungry,” she recalls. “Substance abuse was affecting so many parents in the identified community, and it was the children who suffered the most.”

Determined to help, she persuaded a local bakery to donate damaged bread that would otherwise be discarded.
Minnie collected it before dawn and delivered it to hungry schoolchildren. As the initiative grew, she registered Samaritaan Huis as a non-profit organisation.

After returning to Boksburg, she believed God was calling her to continue the work. She and her husband had owned a successful guest house and cleaning business and enjoyed a comfortable life before deciding to dedicate themselves fully to serving others.

“I had a 14-room guest house and all the luxury God could give me,” she says. “Then I found this place in the dirtiest street I had ever seen. I wondered how I could live here.”

When municipal officials told her that obtaining a government house in Sky Street was unlikely because of long waiting lists, she accepted the answer. Three days later, however, she received a call informing her that a house had unexpectedly become available. The required payment was R1 350.

“Soon afterwards, one friend unexpectedly gave me R1 000. Another friend offered the remaining R350. It was just enough.”
Although the house was in poor condition, she believed it was where she was meant to serve and moved in.

A humble beginning
Initially, only eight people attended gatherings where groceries were distributed and community members came together for prayer and encouragement.

Minnie then decided to turn part of the property into a crèche.
Before long, the attendance started to grow. Support gradually followed. Volunteers from a local bank visited the centre and asked what was needed most.

“I told them I wished we had some shelter.”
Instead, they built a large covered area where children and community members could gather, even during bad weather.

As donations increased, Samaritaan Huis expanded its feeding programmes to include elderly residents and homeless people.

One unexpected turning point came when someone arrived at the house with three children after losing everything.

Minnie agreed to care for them.
“I did it, and I realised this was exactly what I was meant to do.”

A legacy carried forward

Today, Mari manages the centre’s day-to-day operations while her mother remains a daily presence.
“My grandmother always says, ‘As long as I’m able, I will keep doing this,” says her granddaughter, Mariske Koekemoer.

Gratitude keeps Minnie going
“When I wake up and my legs are sore, I thank God for another day. This is where He wants me to be. I walk outside, see the flowers and thank Him for this school and everything He has done. Whether I’m hurting or not, I’m happy because I can still work.”

Samaritaan Huis currently cares for between 33 and 40 children at its ECD centre, while its feeding scheme reaches more than 80 children and around 200 adults in the neighbourhood and surrounding communities.

Without adequate cooking facilities, the centre relies on a local business to prepare hot meals, while other businesses donate surplus food, including airline catering, allowing it to provide additional food parcels to homeless people and struggling families.
Volunteers and donors have also helped build classrooms and improve the facilities over the years.

How you can help
Despite generous support, the need continues to grow.
“The biggest needs are funding, stationery for the children and support so that we can continue feeding everyone who depends on us,” says Mari.

Those wishing to support Samaritaan Huis or contribute towards its programmes can contact Mari on 079 390 5413.

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