Dear Kind Supporters
As you read this newsletter, filled with heartwarming stories and exciting updates, take a moment to remember the magic you’ve helped weave.
Your unwavering support fueled our December food drive, ensuring Khayelitsha elders and their households enjoyed a worry-free festive season filled with the relief of food on the table. Thanks to you, over 90 families received essential groceries, bringing joy and security. Witnessing their smiles and heartfelt gratitude was a powerful reminder of the impact your generosity makes.
NOAH’s journey wouldn’t be possible without YOU. Your contributions, big or small, weave a safety net of dignity and hope. From nutritious meals to medical assistance, your compassion empowers them to live with dignity and independence. As we move forward, remember, your continued support is the fuel that keeps our hope alive. Together, we can build a brighter future for every elder in need.
With deepest gratitude,
Anne Dobson
Interim Director, NOAH
P.S. Your continued support is our lifeline. Consider a recurring donation – even a small amount makes a world of difference. Visit our website to learn more: www.noah.org.za
A sad farewell to Jane Mills
Subject: Announcement of Director’s Resignation – Ms. Jane Mills
Dear NOAH Community,
It is with a mix of emotions that we announce the resignation of our esteemed Director, Ms. Jane Mills. After 13 years of dedicated service to NOAH, Jane has decided to step down from her role. We want to express our deepest gratitude to Jane for her outstanding contribution over the years and commitment throughout her tenure as Director.
Under Jane’s guidance, NOAH has achieved significant milestones and made a lasting impact on the lives of our beneficiaries. Her unwavering dedication and vision have been instrumental in shaping the organization’s direction and success.
While we will miss Jane’s presence and leadership, we want to assure all our stakeholders, including donors, staff, and the wider NOAH community, that the organization remains committed to its mission. NOAH will continue to uphold its objective of striving for excellence in serving all beneficiaries.
We thank Jane for her remarkable contributions and wish her the very best in her future endeavours.
We also extend our warmest wishes to Ms. Anne Dobson, who will be serving as the interim director going forward. We are confident in her ability to lead us during this transition.
Sincerely,
Katlego
Chairperson, NOAH Board of Directors
Full tummies, smiling faces … thanks to you.
Your response to our November food parcel appeal to help our Khayelitsha elders was overwhelming! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Food insecurity is an ever-present worry in the lives of our elders. Many are responsible for as many as 6 family members. You made a BIG difference.
With the contributions received we were able to provide the 90 elders with food parcels for December, January, and even beyond.
I stay with my daughter and 5 grandchildren. The food parcel is very helpful in my family as I am only depending on my social grant which is not enough to feed the entire family.
– Mr Nqweniso Gcaza (77)
I live with my daughter and 4 grandchildren. My daughter’s social grant is not enough to buy food, school items, pay electricity etc. She says when she brings in the food parcels from NOAH, the grandchildren are very happy. She says she does not know what she will do without the support she gets from NOAH
– Mrs N Nonkonyane (84)
Tasty platter for a business or home function?
Last year NOAH launched an exciting sustainability venture – Cape Gourmet Platters. As a catering venture it offers scrumptious food platters cooked by our talented elders. Here’s a taste of what’s available:
Savoury Symphony Sandwich Selection (R1100)
Fillings: Tomato, mozzarella & pesto. Smoked trout, cream cheese & dill.Emmenthal & pastrami. Roast beef & horseradish. Chicken mayo & bacon.
Bases : bagel, ciabatta, sourdough, white and brown bread.
Serves 10-12
Veggie Fusion (R700)
Asian vegetable spring rolls. Lentil & hazelnut frikkadels. Buffalo cauliflower wings. Lentil, red bean, spinach & sweet potato wrap. Serves 8-10
The Cheese Affair (R980)
A selection of the finest cheeses, preserves, pates, hummus, grapes, olives and crackers. Serves 6-8
Heritage Bites (R750)
Beef, chicken, and potato samoosas. Bo-Kaap chicken sosaties. Daltjie chilli bites. Bombay potato roti. Mince curry vetkoek. Serves 6-8
Sweet Sensations (R600)
Vetkoek bomboloni filled with lemon curd. Mini milktarts. Cape Malay koesisters. Serves 8-10
As a wholly owned subsidiary of NOAH, all profits from Cape Gourmet Platters’ activities flow back to NOAH to support the NPO’s initiatives. NOAH NPO is a Level 1 Contributor and Cape Gourmet Platters qualifies as a Level 2 Contributor.
Together, these two organisations offer a seamless one-stop BBBEE solution for corporate partners to maximise their BBBEE points.
Please support this important intitiave that improves the independence and lives of our elders. To place an order call 083 5264002 or email: renee@capegourmetplatters co.za.
Thank you NOAH for giving me a second home
Nqweniso Gcaza’s (77) story is a tough one, but his life has taken a turn for the good. He is finding purpose and pleasure again at NOAH.
I lost my wife few years ago, then my son, who was killed and dumped at Monwabisi beach. I then moved in with my daughter and her 5 children. This was a terrible time as she is a drug addict and I had the responsibility of taking care of her children. Because the situation was so bad my sister suggested I consider becoming a member at NOAH. I visited the Centre and chatted to some of the residents who encouraged me to stay.
This was a turning point. I was given counselling and great support from my fellow members. I was then given the opportunity to attend training with Abalimi Bezekhaya – a non-profit organisation helping people to grow their own vegetable gardens at home. I have always loved gardening and this experience was life changing. I now spend every spare minute in the garden, watering, weeding, pruning …. and the veggie garden is now flourishing. The members are very grateful for the work I do and I am grateful to them for giving me a 2nd home.
From dependence to self-management
For the past 2 years NOAH has worked alongside residents to journey from dependence towards collective self-management within the houses. This journey started with the recognition that as an organisation NOAH had inadvertently created a culture of dependency amongst residents, which was at odds with the aim of the organisation.
Whilst there have been many stops and starts along the way there has been great progress with house residents starting to take greater responsibility for their own lives as well as their house mates.
An example that perfectly demonstrates this progress, was a recent incident over the festive period. A resident in one of the houses became seriously ill.
Two of her housemates immediately took matters in hand, called an ambulance, packed an overnight bag, and safely saw her into the ambulance. They then telephoned her next of kin, explained the situation and told them which hospital she had been taken to.
The staff were only informed of the incident on their return from holiday in January. This episode not only showcased self-management in action but clearly demonstrated that in communal living, you are not alone!
Sadly the resident, Marlene Hogan from Mc Nulty, passed away but we are grateful to Noela Maryatt and Andy Cupido for stepping up and taking such good care of her.
A breakthough in managing chronic conditions
NOAH clinic sisters know that a contributing factor to the success of treating and managing chronic conditions lies in working closely with its patients, ensuring they understand their condition and their treatment.
Over the past few years we’ve worked with individual diabetic patients to identify why they continued to have elevated blood sugar levels, despite being prescribed and receiving oral and injectable diabetic medication.We realised patients do not want to ask questions or admit they don’t know what to do. Patients issued with Insulin pens forget how to use them or how much they need to inject.
We realised the importance of identifying the knowledge gaps during the assessment consultation, taking them through the process step-by-step, and where possible including family or caregivers in the process.
– Sister Delia
Kathy, a NOAH resident and diabetes sufferer, is a testament to this new approach. The clinic sister worked closely with Kathy every day for two weeks, until she was competent to administer the correct dose safely. Kathy has been managing her own Insulin now for almost two years and her recent blood sugar test was the lowest ever. Well done, Kath!
Onwards and upwards for Selling Seconds!
The Selling Seconds shops in Woodstock & Khayalitsha go from strength to strength. Sales and income have increased steadily thanks to our wonderful partners, donors and shoppers! These shops provide an essential and meaningful NOAH income stream as well as jobs and income for its elders that work there.
The Woodstock shop has grown so much that it recently moved out of the main Centre into the property next door. It now has a specially designated processing area, a sewing room where garments are restored, and an on-site washing area to freshen up any soiled garments.
There is enough space for clothes to be sorted and racked to facilitate organised and efficient stock distribution. Big thanks to the people and organisations who helped with this recent move and continue to support us.
The Selling Seconds team is led by Annemieke Doyle. She was recently joined by Anton Peters who manages relationships with existing and new retail corporate donors. They make a formidable team with decades of experience in the clothing and retail industry. Huge thanks to them for their tireless efforts.
Welcome Anton Peters
Anton stepped in to manage Selling Seconds during Annemieke Doyle’s 3-month absence in 2023.
The revamp of the Khayelitsha store was a highlight for me. It was very satisfying being able to use my network to assist with the project funding, and make the dream a reality.
Anton is now a welcome team member driving the expansion of our Selling Seconds model and retail corporate donor base.
Goodbye Baba I will never forget you!
Longstanding NOAH resident of 17 years, Billy Richards, died peacefuly at the age 85 in September 2023. Billy had a quick wit and was always the first to see the funny side of a situation or break the ice with a kind word. With a passion for reading he could often be seen sitting on the bench in the sun, reading and smoking up a storm.
A very special friendship developed between Billy and fellow resident Mary Jane. Her nickname for Billy was “Baba’’ and they spent many hours deep in conversation. He would buy her sweets and joke that he wanted her to marry him. Mary Jane supported him throughout his illness and was by ‘Baba’s’ side until the very end until he sadly passed away in September 23. She has a photo of him in her room to continue his memory.
Happy Birthday Aloy
A supporter and friend of NOAH, Aloy Onuorah, gave residents a wonderful surprise recently by celebrating his birthday with them. Residents were treated by him to not 1, but 3 delicious lunches.
Your generosity and compassion have touched many lives Aloy. You not only donated money for 3 delicious lunches, but also shared your birthday with us. Thank you for making us feel valued and loved. – NOAH resident
Growing our own veggies!
In November, the residents of NOAH Selby Lodge were treated to a visit from the Momentum Metropolitan Sustainability Team (MMS) and NGO Abalimi Bezekhaya. Abalimi is a non-profit organisation specialising in the training of individuals and groups to grow their own vegetable gardens at home, or in a community, to encourage food security and create livelihoods. The Abalimi representative worked alongside the MMS team to show them how to correctly prepare the soil and plant the seedlings, on behalf of the Selby Lodge elders.
This was followed by a delicious lunch and some rather loud singing of Christmas carols! A super day sponsored sponsored by Momentum Metrolpolitan.
We all learned so much and we’re looking forward to harvesting our crops. Thank you for making a difference in our lives – Selby Lodge resident
A Donor tea!
In early December NOAH hosted a thank-you function for individual donors at its All Day Corner Café Woodtsock. Donors were treated to refreshments and canapés, whilst NOAH staff mingled and chatted with the donors. Arts and crafts made by our elders, were offered for sale.
It was a heartwarming event with donors being thanked for their contributions, big and small. It was reiterated how important donors are to NOAH continuing their good work and supporting the elderly community.
Without donor support the NOAH vision, mission and programmes cannot happen. We cherish our donors – they mean so much to us
Nicky Jacobs, NOAH Sustainability Lead
Wonderful feedback was heard from donors, staff and elders alike:
Regine le Roux, from the Re.Bag.Re.Use project in Hout Bay pointed out that NOAH performs an important role in supporting the seniors in the community.
We need to foster the wisdom from our elders, and with our work, every bag we sell, we donate a portion to NOAH.
Jennifer Dippenaar (73) who has lived at Noah for nine years and makes beach blankets that were on sale on the day was heard saying:
I love staying here!
Another Noah resident, Maureen Phillips, 78, said:
NOAH gives the residents purpose and keeps us independent and happy!
A wonderful afternoon was shared by all!
