Thank you for donating joy

HNeedy

EDITOR’S VIEW OLIDAYS are about giving, sharing and joy. The Christmas holidays are even more joyous – they are about children and family, about being thankful and about faith and appreciation. And is there another time of year that has its own songs?

Yuletide is about lessening the suffering of others by stopping hunger and relieving pain.

There is no older or more joyous Christmas tradition than that of giving a gift to a child, of seeing the excitement and glee that comes with the act of making a child happy.

There are thousands of families who will struggle to experience the joy of giving gifts to their children.

There are many more thousands of children who have never seen the sea, something that residents of coastal cities and towns take so much for granted.

Many, if not most of us, go through our daily and seasonal routines without encountering evidence of the needy families among us.

Children within disadvantaged families bear the brunt of grinding poverty.

School holidays can bring uncertainty and hunger for them, a far cry from the celebrations, gifts and plenty we more fortunate associate with Christmas.

For more than eight decades The Mercury Hibberdene Children’s Holiday Home has been a household name, both in KwaZulu-Natal and to a growing community in Gauteng.

Each year the home has offered indigent children between the ages of 9 and 13 the opportunity of a short seaside holiday free from deprivation and in a safe, happy environment, with nutritious meals and care by committed staff.

However, to exist as a joy factory, the home relies on the kindness of Mercury readers and the general public, who donate time and resources not only during the holidays, but throughout the year, to keep its doors open.

This festive season, various sponsors have come on board with donations of cash and kind – Shoprite Checkers, B Nagiah’s Mutton Market and the Baking Pan generously donated food items; Vivian Reddy donated R50 000 worth of new toys; R8 500 came from the proceeds of The Mercury Millions golf tournament. Chrissi Vlismas (R5 000), Marlini Padayachy, Rengold, Kembali, and the staff of Independent Media (R3 000) and Sanlam Life Insurance (R5 000) opened their wallets.

The Mercury is deeply indebted to all those people who are motivated at this time of year to give to complete strangers simply because they are in need.

The pleasing mood of the Christmas season is infectious – even for non-Christians. The decorations, the music, the traditions, and, yes, the Christmas spirit.

We appreciate the charity of all those who are reaching out, and want to spread more joy by saying “Thank You”.

“Children may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”