POLOKWANE – Hope for more than 200 families in Westenburg as they receive food parcels to sustain them.

These donations are made my various entities within the city to Oranios Youth Centre run by Pastor Terry Whitehead. She ensures that these donations reach the under privileged families in her community.

“Flying Pig is one of my sponsors, as well as Martha Hofmeyer’s Old Age Home. Some weeks, with what we receive from them, we feed more than 200 families. We get meat randomly. We recently also received meat parcels for 142 families. We receive flowers and cakes from time to time, which we give out to our elders, making sure they feel valued and special. The smiles and hugs we get when we deliver are amazing,” she said.

They also received a donation of school shoes from a ministry in town through magistrate Celia Harris.

Whitehead explained that the centre is in a season of favour and they are able to help the community.

Before formally establishing the centre, she ran a soup kitchen out of pocket. This wasn’t feasible without funding, and she took a step back.

“The poverty in our community is too much and I was unable to sit back and do nothing. I had people coming to ask for something to eat hence I decided to register Oranios Youth Centre and formally request sponsorship and donations,” she said.

The centre does not only provide a meal, she also holds a counseling certificate from Unisa which helps her assist the people who come to her for family, marital, and personal counseling.

“With all the work I’m doing in the community, I will always remember as a pastor, I’m called to serve and not to be served,” she said. She thanked the volunteers who assist her with the distribution of the donations to the families as well as her husband and children who willingly share her with everyone.