A home in time for Xmas
2007-01-11
A NEW house in Wellington has been completed just in time for Christmas, for Priscilla Simons, founder of Helping Hands in Wellington, which is a safe haven for children suffering the effects of HIV/Aids, sexual abuse and foetal alcohol syndrome.
The new house has been constructed with the assistance of sponsors Wang Thai restaurant chain from Cape Town and Pick ’n Pay.
Providing a place of safety and a home for more than 88 children in the Wellington area, Helping Hands has until now been operating from a small shack in Vanwyksvlei.
Last year Wang Thai and Pick ’n Pay pledged to build a home for this organization and on 19 December Priscilla and her children moved into their new home with the help of these Christmas angels.
Many of the children supported by Priscilla, have lost their parents to the Aids pandemic.
“I care for them by providing food and clothing through charity drives, supervising Sunday school and mass attendance, organising outings, and educating them about Aids, sex and other life skills,” says Priscilla.
“The children have been sleeping on mattresses on the floor, and there was no plumbing or electrical facilities whatsoever.”
Priscilla says she received the news on Valentine’s Day that her HIV status had gone into remission.
She is positive and passionate about her work, striving to provide the younsters with a better life.
In April earlier this year, Wang Thai in conjunction with Pick ’n Pay, partnered to celebrate Songkran, the most significant and devout event on the Thai calendar, which is the Thai New Year. Annually Wang Thai hosts a culinary extravaganza and charity auction to benefit the charity of their choice. Wang Thai came to hear of Priscilla and joined forces with Pick ’n Pay, Standard Bank and a number of other sponsors such as Grand West Casino, Henry and Peterson Quantity Surveyors, Paul Cluver, Gavin Rajah, the Thai Embassy, and Dragon Power Gym, to make Helping Hands the beneficiary of the 2006 fundraiser.
Together they were able to raise R152 000 on the night of the auction, enough to get under way with the building activities.
“In handing you the keys to the house we know that you will continue with this uplifting and caring work in the community. With all the facilities now at your disposal you will undoubtedly turn this house into a home for the little ones,” said Vernon Rodriques, pivotal roleplayer from the IT department of Pick ’n Pay, when he handed the keys to an overjoyed Simons.
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