Christmas came early for senior citizens of Ikhaya Loxolo Old Age Home in Gugulethu as they were entertained by members of the provincial Traffic Services, on Tuesday December 5.
They gave them hot meals and donated food parcels to more than 95 seniors. Cape Town traffic services spokesman Richard Coleman, said they wanted to put smiles on the faces of the senior citizens and ensure that they knew they had not been forgotten, even when their relatives were not around.
Mr Coleman said it was important for seniors to be taken care of and not feel neglected and uncared for. Mr Coleman said they also wanted to show the community of Gugulethu that underneath their uniforms they were human beings who cared about society.
Mr Coleman said it was the time of year that family and relatives were going to spend quality time together and spoil each other, but for many of the seniors this would not be the case. And so, they decided to do something special for them.
“We want them to feel loved. We should not neglect them because they were living at old age homes. We want them to feel special,” he said.
Ikhaya Loxolo facility manager, Nokongama Matiwane, said the visit meant a lot to them because some of the senior citizens were not visited by their loved ones and praised the officers for thinking about them.
She said seeing the senior citizens smiling was priceless. “We appreciate the continuous support that we get from various organisations and people. This has certainly made an impact on the lives of our people.
“We are grateful and we will always remain indebted to them. We hope this is not the last time they show us their support and love,” said Ms Matiwane.
Inspector Nkosinathi Wana said as someone who worked in the area, he understood their challenges and had urged his colleagues to extend a helping hand. He said they had also noted the home’s other needs and hoped to be able to do something more for them in the future.