Assisting the vulnerable residents of Woodside Sanctuary
After 68 years of service to severely disabled people, Woodside Sanctuary is in desperate financial need.
Woodside Sanctuary has been home to the most vulnerable among us - people with severe to profound intellectual and physical disabilities - since 1955.
Currently, Woodside has 84 residents aged between three and 67.
Many of these residents know no other home, while some have been there for 50 years. Several residents have no other family. Just like so many South African families, Woodside is struggling to keep their heads above water financially.
READ: 'Save Her Through Art' - Breast cancer survivor pays it forward
They have been advised that the home could shut down by early next year if some form of intervention is not found.
"Our biggest concerns are that our residents would simply not be able to survive in other institutions; many of them have been at Woodside for most of their lives and would just not be able to adjust to that sort of drastic change. South Africa would in all likelihood bear witness to another tragic loss of life, this time to Woodside’s residents reminiscent of another Life Esidimeni heartbreak,” says Kirsten Williams, Woodside General Manager.
The cost of looking after a resident is around R19,000 per month. Woodside needs to find funding for R13,000 of this cost through fundraising and sponsorship.
Many of their regular donors are businesses that are struggling financially and simply cannot contribute anymore.
Woodside have a number of plans and projects in place to get them out of this dire situation, but time is running out.
"We would not presume to request your assistance financially, but we would like to ask if there is any possibility that you might be willing to assist us by providing us with a platform where we could possibly be interviewed and tell our story of our plight to your wonderful listeners, in the fervent hope that someone out there might be willing to offer us our survival."
READ: "Pimp my wheels": A new wheelchair for Life
That’s why several concerned listeners have reached out to Good Morning Angels on their behalf, seeking assistance.
For More info visit: https://woodside.co.za
REQUEST FOR: Woodside Sanctuary in Auckland Park, represented by General Manager, Kirsten Williams
REQUEST FROM: Several listeners like Dr Jacques Cilliers, Mareza Rudman, and Loné Lourens
ANGEL: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels Fund will assist Woodside with R100,000 towards care for their very special residents
Dear Angels,
I hope this message finds you well. I'm reaching out with a heartfelt request on behalf of the Woodside Sanctuary, a home that has compassionately served over 80 mentally and physically disabled residents for the past 68 years.
With the challenges brought about by COVID, coupled with economic pressures we're all grappling with, the sanctuary is currently facing an unprecedented strain. The consistent stream of generous donors, who have supported this noble cause for decades, has begun to wane. As history has shown, it's often the most vulnerable in our society who bear the brunt of such tough times.
The situation is critical. Without timely funding, we risk shutting down this sanctuary, leaving many of its residents without a home. This thought alone is heartbreaking.
I kindly urge you to consider assisting Woodside Sanctuary. Any support, whether through funds or your valuable connections, can make a profound difference and ensure the continuity of this vital haven. Please find the link to their website: https://woodside.co.za/
Thank you for the incredible work you continue to do for our community. Your impact is immeasurable.
Warm regards, Jacques
REQUEST 2:
Good Morning Angels,
I am sending this email on behalf of Woodside Sanctuary, a residential home for the profoundly intellectually and physically disabled Johannesburg.
Woodside Sanctuary started in 1955, based in Johannesburg, and is a registered PBO: 18/11/13/1075 and NPO: 000-819, licensed in terms of the Mental Health Care Act, No. 17 of 2002, to care for persons with severe to profound intellectual and physical disabilities, both full-time residential care and day care services. Woodside Sanctuary residents require lifelong care and remain in our facility in Cottesloe, Auckland Park. During the course of our 68 years of existence, Woodside has provided shelter, safety, stability and love to over 1300 individuals with profound intellectual disabilities. Ensuring their dignity and wellness always remains at the forefront of what we do.
Today, Woodside Sanctuary is home to 84 residents, ranging in age from 3 to over 67 years, who are unable to remain within the family unit and who require lifelong specialised care.
The last couple of years have proven to be filled with challenges and difficulties, many of them due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected not just South Africa but everyone around the world. The full effects of the economic strain as a result of the pandemic are starting to be felt in earnest, especially by NPOs like Woodside. Donors are suffering from donor fatigue due to all the calls to action that were answered at the height of COVID, with corporate donors especially having cut back on their CSI spend as many are still recovering from the financial difficulties faced when businesses were closed, staff were retrenched, etc.
These issues have resulted in us not being able to bring in the funding needed to cover our operating deficits, and we have been left with no alternative but to draw down from our reserves in order to cover those costs. On Friday, the 29th of September 2023, Woodside was informed by our auditors that we do not have enough funds remaining to cover our debts, and thus Woodside has been qualified and there is a serious concern of us remaining a going concern. We are now faced with the frightening probability that after 68 years of providing our services to some of the most marginalised and vulnerable people in our society, Woodside will be left with no choice but to close our doors in only a few months’ time.
Our biggest concerns are that our residents would simply not be able to survive in other institutions; many of them have been at Woodside for most of their lives and would just not be able to adjust to that sort of drastic change. South Africa would in all likelihood bear witness to another tragic loss of life, this time to Woodside’s residents reminiscent of another Life Esidimeni heartbreak, as our angels would be redistributed amongst various government health institutions. This is particularly frightening when you consider South Africa’s failing public health care system, general apathy in nursing care, and blatant misappropriation of funds. We simply cannot allow for this to happen.
The closing of our doors would not only affect our residents and their families; it would also detrimentally impact the lives of our staff and their families. Woodside also provides employment for 104 staff, many of whom have been here for over 30 years. If we close, they lose their jobs, and it will affect all of our exceptionally dedicated staff and their families most detrimentally. The knock-on effect of unemployment and increased poverty will be certain in their situation.
We at Woodside have no other choice but to reach out to whoever we can, to beg on our knees for assistance.
We would not presume to request your assistance financially, but we would like to ask if there is any possibility that you might be willing to assist us by providing us with a platform where we could possibly be interviewed and tell our story of our plight to your wonderful listeners, in the fervent hope that someone out there might be willing to offer us our survival.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for taking the time to read our desperate plea, our backs are against the wall and we need saving.
Kind Regards
Loné Lourens
Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 - 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.