Helping the rich give to the poor
Liz Clarke looks at a KZN-based volunteer programme and the woman who started it. Cindy Norcutt is this week’s LeadSA Hero
LIKE the proverbial Scarlet Pimpernel, this week’s LeadSA Hero nominee is everywhere. Whether it’s Love the Babies Project, Bless a Granny, a new crèche being built in rural Mariannhill, or classroom-building awareness climb up Kilimanjaro you’ll find Cindy Norcutt, founder of the Robin Hood Foundation, helping – and, yes, she is taking from the rich to help the poor.
But she modestly refuses to take all the credit for the 100 or so charity projects she runs.
“Whatever my input was when the foundation was launched many years ago, it is overshadowed by the teams, the volunteers and the insanely generous, who have given it the wings it enjoys today.
“If anything I’m probably the least important cog in the wheel.”
But beginnings, however far back down the road, are always significant, so we asked her where the “giving spirit” first took root.
It was nine years ago, she explains, that the Robin Hood Foundation was launched.
“I had a new born baby, at the time, and opened the cupboard to get a baby outfit out and I realised that with all the clothes I had been given I could provide clothing for 10 underprivileged babies.
“I knew that there were many more moms out there who could do the same.”
With that thought in mind the Love the Babies project was started.
“South Africans are innately generous, doesn’t matter their culture or background,” says Cindy.
“Once we had a workable strategy in place, there was no shortage of helpers.” THE Robin Hood Foundation runs more than 100 projects aimed at making a difference in the lives of people who are in need. Earlier this year volunteers embarked on a Climbing for Classrooms campaign raising awareness about new school building projects.
The project has been supported by Rotary, which has sent the teachers on additional courses so that the children have the best possible start to their education.
Visit their website www.robinhood foundation.co.za or e-mail robinhoodfund@telkom sa.net to be on their database.
For moms giving birth in government hospitals, buying baby clothes, nappies and receiver blankets, is often out of the question.
“We learnt that taking new born babies home wrapped in newspaper was not unusual.
“What we wanted to do was to give new mothers and babies the dignity they deserved,” she says.
Thereafter every six weeks moms would meet and pack bags of clothes, booties, blankets and nappies for new moms at government hospitals, a scheme that operates throughout the province.
In December 2009 Cindy was approached to organise 70 bags filled with basics (samp, beans, tinned food, soap etc) for the grannies or “gogos” in Inchanga, a sprawling resource poor area west of Durban.
“Many of these gogos have to care for their grandchildren and other children in the community. They do an amazing job with so little.”
A message was sent out to friends and supporters asking for 70 bags of food basics to help these gogos over the Christmas period.
“Instead of 70, we received 900 bags.
“That was incredible. I then realised that it was possible to effectively redistribute resources by taking from the rich and giving to the poor – hence the name The Robin Hood Foundation.”
The secret of the success of the foundation, says Cindy is the “passion and commitment of the team of trustees, committee members and volunteers who roll up their sleeves and get involved with one common purpose – to make a difference in the lives of those in need.”
We caught up with Cindy as she was helping put the final touches on this year’s “Bless A Granny” project.
Now in its fifth year, the project reaches more than 3 200 grannies and grandpas in government funded old age homes.
“We ask each elderly citizen to give us a wish list of what they would like for Christmas, to the value of R150. Sometimes it is just simple requests like a KitKat, some tissues, a hairbrush, coffee or a packet of sweets.”
The public support is heartwarming, says Cindy.
“We give out names and wish lists to people who want to participate.
“All they need to do is to fill a bag, drop it off at a special point for distribution and our teams do the rest.”
Enjoying time with the older folk, is always a “real treat”, says Cindy.
“We arrive armed with cakes, quiches and biscuits so the residents can have a party. We spend time chatting and serving them tea and cake and giving out the gift bags. It’s the highlight of their year for them – and for us.”
Cindy has just written a book entitled How to Be Unstoppable, which, in every way, sounds like an apt description for someone who never gives up on an idea.
She admits that every time she announces to the volunteer teams that she has an idea, they break out into a sweat because it is usually something massive.
“But with a miracle team like ours everything is possible.”
lizclarke4@gmail.com