#WomensMonth: Compassionate Lorraine spreads hope to many

A MOTHER, friend, and confidant to many, Lorraine David shines as a beacon of hope in her community.

Many in the communities of Bluff, Wentworth and Merebank have come to know her as the co-founder of the Bluff Hope Centre (BHC), which she started with her husband Adam. Here she has dedicated much time, effort and faith towards the organisation which feeds and provides other essential services to the homeless and destitute in the community.

READ: Spreading hope and love on the Bluff

But very few know her beyond her green BHC uniform which she wears with pride. Hailing from humble beginnings in Chatsworth, Lorraine is the fifth of six daughters. She describes her childhood and life growing up as fun, warm and loving despite living below the breadline. “Family life for me was exciting. I didn’t grow up in a rich family. My dad worked in a clothing factory to support six children and his wife. Sometimes getting by was difficult but in even in the difficult times, we would still see the beautiful things that life had to offer. As a family we always stood with each other and always remained united in love. My dad was very faithful and never gave up working towards providing for his family,” she said.

Before walking into her life’s calling to do ministry and charity work, she was drawn towards the profession of sales, where she would go onto successfully work for a well-known company for a number of years. A people’s person and a hard worker of note, she went onto land herself a promotion as head of internal sales in her 20s.

She describes herself as a young girl who was full of fire at the time and only slowed down after having her first child, Adelene. “As I entered motherhood, I realised that I needed to change. I wanted to nurture and be there for her and I wasn’t comfortable with anyone else looking after her. Sure, I could have gone onto to work in big leagues but I believe God had a greater purpose. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if it wasn’t for those tough decisions that I had to make. I have come to learn that sometimes I have to depend on God more than my own understanding. And that became true, as Adam and I fell on hard times because the income was less but the responsibilities increased as I later had my second child, Adrian,” she said reflecting on a difficult time for her family, which moved them closer in faith than ever before.

Lorraine has always been a spiritual person whose footsteps are directed by God. After a number of business ventures throughout the years and finding a beautiful home on the Bluff, she answered what she refers to as her ‘prophetic calling to feed the hungry’. “I’ve always had a passion for people and my heart used to break when I would see homeless people sleeping on the road. It would touch me deeply and I used to pray about it. At the time I didn’t even know where or how I would start. Who do you help, who do you not? But after a significant dream I consulted with my pastors and after a great team effort, BHC was born.”

BHC has grown tremendously over the years, providing meals five days a week, clothing, hairdressing and ablution facilities, computer training and more to those in need. She and a dedicated team of volunteers also run a feeding scheme in Wentworth. Lorraine hopes to one day provide shelter for the homeless as well as a rehab centre to curb the issue of drug abuse and addiction in the community.

READ: #MandelaDay: Centre’s meals add hope for the hungry

“The importance of giving and helping others has even been inherited by our children. I got it from my parents and Adam is the same way. Love and compassion has become a part of our family values and it shows. You’re only in this world for a certain time and it’s important to make it count by making a difference in people’s lives. Myself and the amazing team of volunteers, many of which are phenomenal women, will never stop helping those in need.”

Her message of hope to all women: “It doesn’t matter what life has thrown at you. God sees every tear you cry and he knows all the difficulties you face. He is going to work it all out for you. It takes people at the bottom to get to the top. Hang in there, dream big, look for opportunities, live with intention and trust God. You must dream big and never give up no matter what.”

To volunteer at BHC or to assist with a donation contact Lorraine on 083-923-9196 or Adam on 083-654-9882.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. For any comments or queries, contact the National Group Editor, Irma Green at irma@caxton.co.za or the Legal Adviser, Helene Eloff at  helene@caxton.co.za.

DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 876 3179
The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?

Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.

To receive our free newsletter click here

(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)