SAPS station commander wins cash prize for supporting police ECF
While handing over a cash prize to one of the national winners of The Elderly Care Fund for Retired Police Officials (ECF) in Komatipoort last week, volunteer Ronel Killian also raised awareness on the organisation's work among officers.
KOMATIPOORT – The local SAPS station commander, Lt Col Willie Meiring, was one of the lucky national winners of a cash prize this month for his contribution to The Elderly Care Fund for Retired Police Officials (ECF).
Local volunteer at the ECF, Ronel Killian handed the prize over last Monday morning and remarked that it was great to reward a serving member, especially one planning to retire at the end of the year.
The ECF was established in 1983 and is the only institution in the country that offers after-care to retired SAPS officials. They are dependent on donations from serving and retired SAPS members and the private sector.
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These donors stand the chance to win a monthly cash prize, like Meiring received, and get discounts on ECF items like wallets, boots and recipe books.
Volunteers go visit retired police officials, their spouses or children to assess their needs, offer emotional support or financial aid, such as food parcels, give them gift parcels on their birthdays or even offer skills development. They also assist with their medical aid and pension fund and can help them get an affordable funeral policy.
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They work closely with police and social workers to ensure that these retired officers and their families are not forgotten.
The ECF volunteers regularly come across retired police officers that do not have enough money to cover their basic needs, often due to circumstances beyond their control. They focus a lot on personal contact, as they walk a long road with the elderly and try to cater to their unique needs.
Killian, a former police wife, worked as an ECF volunteer in Pretoria for six years before moving to Marloth Park recently. She was once again drafted as a volunteer and will try to assist police officers in Nkomazi, Mbombela and even further in the Lowveld, if necessary.
She hopes to start visiting retired police officers soon and maybe even host a tea party or occasion where she can help teach retirees or their families handwork like knitting.
Killian urged local police officers to contact the ECF’s offices on 012-345-3005 or on admin@bsfonds-ecfund.co.za to inform them of retired officers in the area that may need assistance.
