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Jeff Moloi
Kaycee catches up with the indefatigable Manager of Cheshire Home, Drirede Burger :
As a home for 56 differently abled adults who have such unique, diverse needs, our need to provide accommodation with full time care, healthy and sufficient meals, medical needs and transportation to hospitals and clinics – all of this within a safe and sustainable environment.
Like all private households, our expenses are climbing daily. Our shoestring budget, does not always cover our monthly expenses, as we need to raise money monthly to cover our basic costs. Our expenses include maintenance, admin, fuel, insurance, water and electricity, Atlas security, salaries for carers (without them we could not function), meal costs, laundry etc.
We have about 10 of the 56 residents who do not have any means to contribute any funds to the cost of accommodation. This means that we need to fundraise at least R100 000 a month just to cover their basic needs.
We are very active with Fundraising in Port Elizabeth. We plan our main annual events at the beginning of every year, and work towards making them bigger and better than the year before. We are EXTREMELY grateful to our loyal friends and our local businesses who support us, like yourselves.
Khaya Cheshire, our partial day care centre, situated at Cheshire Home Summerstrand, is a partial day care facility for children with different abilities. They are collected from their homes in Walmer every morning, brought to Khaya, and we give them breakfast. A basic education and life skills are shared with the children. After a hearty, nutritious lunch, the children are taken home. We align with the school calendar, have a teacher, driver and assistant for Khaya. The families do not pay for this service. We send food parcels to the families once a month.
The funding from the Department of Social Development covers only 14% of our required monthly budget.
Our annual fundraisers include: OUR FETE IS HAPPENING SATURDAY 7 JUNE - DON'T MISS IT!
Annual Fete, Golf Day, Music Trivia, Wine Tasting/Dinner, Bingo days, a Big Walk, Valentine's Dance, our Birthday, and all sorts of ad hoc activities. New ideas are always welcome!
There will also be a Beer Garden and fabulous musicians to entertain you!
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Our 50th birthday is October 1st, 2025. All our functions this year will incorporate the 50th celebration.
Our Needs Lists :
Nappy Fund money/adult diapers : Nappies cost the Home in excess of R18,000 per month. It would be wonderful to have a company adopt a resident and pick up the nappy/toiletry costs for that resident.
Toiletries: Again, the toiletries are not provided by the families and roll-on, toothpaste, soap, cream, toothbrushes, and deodorant is always needed. Hygiene is critical to their well-being.
New shirts for the residents: Our residents sometimes attend outside functions, or represent us doing fundraising. Our Cheshire shirts are old and stretched, it would be wonderful to provide each resident with a new Cheshire shirt that gives them a sense of pride and belonging. Extra hands!! We are always in need of volunteers who can assist with cupboard cleanouts, gardening, working in our shops, and fundraising and events. We would love volunteers to start a photography club or an arts and crafts group again.
Corporate Gifts : To say thank you to special folk who make an effort, we would love to have wine bottles labelled and donate these as gifts.
Second Hand Shops : We have second hand shops on our premises and the residents very keenly work in the shops with volunteers. These shops are our lifeline. We have a book shop, odds and ends shop and clothing shop. We tried to start a coffee shop but it did not work too well. All unwanted items that we can sell in our shops, make the world of a difference.
Other wishlist items include:
EXTERIOR PAINTING of our entire Home. We have quotes for this.
Weedkiller for all our areas (we have tried home made remedies)
Physio equipment such as weights and therabands
TOILETRIES are a HUGE need for the residents – many of them cannot afford or do not have a sponsor.
NEEDS FOR KHAYA CHESHIRE :
Puzzles for our children at Khaya
Stationery - Prestik, glue, crayons, etc
Workbooks
Carpets for their classroom
Contributions towards their monthly food parcels
T-shirts and raincoats for the children for when they go on outings
Toiletries for the children
Christmas gifts for the children
Non-perishable food for their monthly parcels
Work books
We can provide companies with all necessary documentation, including an 18A receipt for their donations.
“Not because it is big or because it has been long established, but because there are people in it who live it., sleep it, dream it and build great future plans for it. We should be working together, helping each other, strengthening each other. I hope the Cheshire foundation will always be forward-looking, outward-looking. It will always be reaching out to see what else it can do. I hope it will never say “that’s it”. Now all we’ve got to do is maintain the status quo.”
Leonard Cheshire
