Driving change, one project at a time
Bethel Safe House is a registered non-profit organisation that takes care of abused and abandoned children. These are children who would otherwise have no one to care for them and rely on the home for a safe place to call home. The Bethel Safe House runs entirely on sponsorships and donations.
Mandy Field, Chairman and House Mother of Bethel Safe House, said ‘It is quite a task to run the home and make sure that the girls have what they need. This includes everything from food, clothes, and school uniforms to name only a few. A school lunch means so much to them, as does a bath every night, and clean clothes.
‘The girl’s ages range from 1 to 10 years old, each of them has a very sad story, yet they always have a bright smile.
‘We rely on the generosity of organisations like OUTsurance, and others like it in the community to be able to care for these children.’
Staff Helping SA OUT Coordinator, Monica Coetzee explains, ‘The challenge of caring for abandoned children is one that many of these non-profit organisations have to deal with on a daily basis. However, the sad reality is that without adequate funding they are not able to continue their services. Our involvement at Bethel Safe House is a shining example of how volunteer work and donations can bring about positive change in our communities.’
‘As part of our Staff Helping SA OUT initiative, staff are encouraged to nominate any project that is close to their heart. As soon as they nominate a project, they automatically put themselves forward as the project lead and they need to provide us with an estimate cost, the amount of volunteers they’ll need, and a detailed plan of action.
‘When Biance Harmse from our regional office in Gqeberha nominated this project, you could tell that this project is very close to her heart. She had big plans, not only in terms of a monetary contribution, but also to find ways to revamp the garden area and help out with general maintenance jobs.’
Harmse says, ‘My team and I feel very privileged to have had a chance to make a difference in these kids’ lives, even if it is just for a couple of weeks. Thank you OUTsurance for granting us this opportunity to do good in our own backyard.’