The public is invited to support the Feed a child – Tin in a Bin campaign of the Leliebloem Child and Youth Care Centre in Crawford by donating tin or non-perishable food.
“The campaign culminates on Saturday 10 December when the tins will be sorted and food parcels made. The Feed a Child campaign supports 60 children from the ages of four to 18 years daily, which includes three meals per day, school lunches, food parcels for when our children visit their families for out-weekends and school holidays,” says Carla Stewart, spokesperson for Leliebloem House.
“As a Leliebloem House family, we have come to know challenges and difficulties. We’ve come to know and understand the depth of a mission that has been actively serving children, youth and their families including their communities for 154 years. This Lighthouse of Hope has embraced prayers of healing and restoration, purposefully driven acts of kindness and generosity from the public, family reunification, adolescent development and valuable investment in the lives of vulnerable children who are deeply emotionally fragile, in need of divine intervention and more so a need to belong,” she says.
According to her, the objective of the house is to solicit support for their Feed a Child campaign which aligns with the well-being of 60 children in their care.
“Our Tin in a Bin Campaign allows the public to give back as an individual, family, school or religious group which elevates the Feel Good factor whereby just one non-perishable product can promote kindness, generosity which instantaneously raises the much-needed awareness for our children’s home and demonstrates human kindness and love in action. This is the kind of camaraderie that will make a significant difference in the lives of the vulnerable children in our care,” Stewart says.
Their main focus areas for the children in their care are food security, education, toiletries, clothing and underwear, transportation to school and appointments, medical and therapeutic services, sport and development, life skills and mentoring.
“The residents and general public are welcome to drop off their tins at Leliebloem House in Korne Close (off Belgravia Road, in Crawford between 09:00 and 12:00 until 10 December,” she says.
In August last year, they started their own organic food gardening project with AWS in Communities in partnership with Soil for Life (SFL). They provided training to the children and staff in organic food gardening.
“They provided materials to set up six 1m by 4m garden beds as well as materials to replant all beds at the appropriate time. This 20-week process started in August (last year) and it is such a blessing to harvest from our garden. The garden also helps to cut costs on our monthly budget,” Stewart says.
