THE RUTH MAILBAG GROUP:
NEWSLETTER 1 OF 2016
Thank you to everyone who sent Christmas & Holiday
greetings! 2015 was a very good year,
but it flew by much too quickly and will always be remembered for the upheaval
at the post office that came very close to crippling our work for the moms and
babies.
A sincere thank you to everyone who sent donations to The
Ruth Mailbag Group, your knitted, crocheted, bought and / or good quality
second hand goodies were much appreciated.
THE END OF AN
ERA!!!
I regret to advise that with great difficulty, much
thought and prayer, I find it necessary to close The Ruth Mailbag Group. Our
last meeting will be held on the 1st Saturday in February at which we will
finalize outreaches, etc. Any stock will be channelled to local charities,
every little item will find a good home and one where your item is much needed.
Bless you all and thank you for your never ending support over thirteen and a
half years.
GIFTING
Friday, 25
December 2015: New security team,
although they didn’t know me at all, they were very pleasant about obtaining
permission for me to visit the moms and babies.
Once I had permission on the ward to visit the moms I asked if I may
please visit the Christmas babies and their moms first, there were 4 Christmas
babies!!! Unfortunately I was unable to
take photos; I did see a journalist interviewing the moms and so hope that I
will be able to track down some photos later on. Gifted soft toys to 30 babies and little
IsiZulu Bibles to the moms, (thank you, to Mariska and the Gideon’s for this
kind donation), the moms were delighted to receive something that was just for
them. One of the moms told me she could
not read IsiZulu, and asked if I perhaps had an English Bible for her, I asked
her to wait while I went back to the car where I always keep a Bible and gave
her mine, she was stunned that I would give her my very own Bible but I assured
her that I had another at home and she was welcome to have the one I had
brought for her, she was very obviously delighted with her gift/s. Found one mommy who looked helpless with a
baby in one arm and a cup of tea in the other, so I offered to help her and
took the cup from her to put on the cupboard next to her while she was busy
with the baby, she asked if I was a nurse, the staff told her no, I’m the
mother of the babies, because I visit a lot and give the babies presents… Blessed hour spent on this Christmas
day. Staff very busy, friendly and
helpful as always.
Sunday, 27
December 2015: Routine visit today –
Gifted 12 preemies and 19 newborn babies.
Mums delighted with their packs (2 sets each for the newborn babies and
1 each for the preemies). When I got to
the B & B there was a chorus of “what happened to you?” I had to explain that my absence was to spend
time with my family, and then Christmas wishes were called out all around. Staff very busy, friendly and helpful. Blessed visit with our moms and babies. Thank you, one and all for your support!
Sunday, 17 January
2016: Gifted 17 preemies and 16 newborn
babies. Mums delighted with their packs
(2 sets each for the newborn babies and 1 each for the preemies). Staff very busy, friendly and helpful. Blessed visit with our moms and babies. Thank you, one and all for making these
visits and gifts possible!
Please Remember We
Have Various Outreaches - Please contact the convenors and continue
supporting their work –
Psychiatric Hospital at Bloemfontein – Doreen Brits at doreenbrits@worldonline.co.za
Ikhaya Lethu at Colenso – Gail Rozendaal at gail.rozendaal@gmail.com
Môrester Children’s Home – Judy Maccarone is your contact
person (telephone number on request)
Walton Street Clinic, and The Child Welfare (Urmila Riga)
– Gil Richmond at richmort@telkomsa.net
Groups That Share
Our Interest in Helping Babies and Their Mommies – Please continue to
support their work –
Beanies And
Blankets For Babies - We knit, crochet, sew and donate items to babies and
moms in King Dinuzulu and Murchison Hospitals, KZN, larger sizes go to
Creighton, southern Drakensberg
Bowlers 4 Babies
– We aim to make up gift packs to give to the new mothers at the local
Provincial hospitals. Inspired by The
Ruth Mailbag Group and Joy Coetzee
Amor Group
works for the babies born at Steve Biko in Pretoria
Ten Thousand
Blocks for Amor works for the Amor Group
Bertha Gxowa
Hospital - Address for donations: Maternity Ward, Cnr. Angus & Joubert
Street, Germiston. Postal: Private Bag
X1035, Germiston, 1400 South Africa.
Name of staff liaison person: Mrs N J Korong. Telephone number of staff liaison person:
(011) 089-8500 Ext 1244. Fax: (011)
825-5425. Email:
Jeanette.Korong@gauteng.gov.za. Needs:
Kangaroo Abbas, vests, jerseys, booties, hats (prems and full term
new-borns). General: Receiving
blankets. Contact person is Alison Beattie at https://www.facebook.com/alliebt.
Morag Macneill Van Deventer lives at Fordmouth,
Baynesfield and works for various charities e.g. Nels Rust School, mums in
Edendale Kangaroo Mother Care unit. Edendale Burns Unit (Burns Care Trust),
Mahagu children, etc. She calls her
charity group, "Kuvela
Orhandweni". Please visit her page at https://www.facebook.com/morag.m.vandeventer
for more information.
I have been asked to keep sharing posts from all the
groups who belong to our network. The groups think that way they will still
feel as though they are part of something bigger than just their own groups – https://www.facebook.com/The-Ruth-Mailbag-Group-153666104700531/
.
POSTAL INSTRUCTION
- Please continue to support the above groups, when posting items to them
please follow these guidelines carefully –
ADDRESS LABEL CHANGE - the new message needs to read: BONA FIDE GIFT FOR CHARITY - NO COMMERCIAL
VALUE. The label needs to be added to the front of the parcel. Please write
a value of '0' or '1' at the most on the customs ticket.
POSTAL
INSTRUCTIONS - CUSTOMS DUTY - VERY IMPORTANT: We would ask you to take
special notice of these instructions to avoid unnecessary duty being paid on
your parcels as they arrive in South Africa.
Please mark clearly: BONA
FIDE GIFT FOR CHARITY - NO COMMERCIAL VALUE.
Please do not register your letters, parcels, packages or
boxes.
Please do not give a monetary value on your parcels (or
only the minimum amount as instructed by your post office).
Please do use your good old post office unless you do not
have one; it has come to our attention that the customs paid to couriers is
higher than that paid at the post office.
We have to pay minimal duty on most large parcels
arriving. However even just a small monetary value on a parcel attracts far
higher duties. Letters, parcels, packages and boxes continue to arrive safely
in volumes without any registration or monetary values appended to them.
MOISTURE FREE:
Wrap your crocheted, knitted and sewn items in a plastic bag, bubble wrap or
buy postal bags with an inner plastic coating to keep them moisture proof. Tape
your parcels well.
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Please visit the group of your choice on Facebook for information.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Please add a note with your email address so that they may acknowledge your
parcel. Thank you in advance for your support!
Happy charity crafting!!!
Joy Coetzee – Founder
The Ruth Mailbag Group
Contact: Joy.coetzee@gmail.com
Fax 086 516 4618
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