Major initiatives from local entertainment complex on Madiba Day
From building a playground, to collecting and distributing groceries in an informal settlement, knitting and sewing beanies and scarves.
Mandela Day 2019 once again dawned as a busy one for volunteers from Silverstar, who set out to make a difference in their community.
From building a playground at Munsieville Primary to collecting and distributing groceries in an informal settlement in Munsieville, knitting and sewing beanies and scarves, donating and helping out at an animal shelter and packing meals at Rise Against Hunger – it was a great day for giving.
Something that created a lot of joy for the Grade RR children of Munsieville Primary School was the building of an exciting playground at the school’s Early Childhood Development centre, which was established earlier this year with Silverstar’s support.
A team from the complex, including maintenance department staff, transformed the area into a wonderland of play, full of climbing and playing equipment, with a jungle gym, slide, sandpit, and much more, to the value of R158 000.
Anneke Potgieter, Silverstar Operations Director and Complex GM, said, “Until now, the Grade RR class at Munsieville didn’t have an appropriate playground for the children to enjoy and develop their large motor muscles, which are needed for whole body movement and core development. We believe this playground will add value and skills to those young lives”.
Silverstar also joined forces with Sector 4’s Community Policing Forum and launched a food collection drive in June to distribute food parcels to households in Pangoville, an informal settlement in Munsieville, on Mandela Day.
Anneke said the food drive was launched to provide much-needed sustenance to families and to show the community that people care.
A second Silverstar and CPF Sector 4 Mandela Day initiative supported the 9th Day Animal Shelter, a rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming centre for dogs. A collection of pet food and blankets started in June, and on Mandela Day, 10 Silverstar employees handed over the collected items and helped out at the shelter, mending and painting fences, cleaning kennels, bathing and walking the dogs.
Another Silverstar initiative that started weeks ago for Mandela Day was the knitting and sewing of beanies and scarves for under-privileged primary school children.
The Silverstar knitters aimed at knitting five beanies and five scarves each, to be donated to children on Mandela Day for added protection against the harsh Highveld winter.
Two teams from Silverstar also joined the massive Rise Against Hunger meal packing initiative at Sandton Convention Centre, joining many other Tsogo Sun volunteers from properties in Johannesburg, and packing meals to be distributed through ECD Connect, a results-oriented nutrition programme, which monitors and evaluates the children’s progress to ensure maximum impact.
Anneke added, “Silverstar is focused on being responsive to need in the community, which is backed up by strong support from Silverstar staff who are invested in making a sustainable and positive difference in many lives in our community. CSI is integrated into our business strategy and we embrace our responsibility to play a role in the social, economic and environmental well-being of our area”.
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