ATHLONE
Mehanos Pizza
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ATHLONE BRANCH ONLY 021 633 4664
TUESDAY 13 August 2013 | 0021 910 6500 | Fax: 021 910 6501/06 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za | Mobisite: ppost.mobi
Fired up As part of the Eidul Fitr celebra tions, over 70 000 underprivi leged residents from across the Mother City were fed by Na khlistan. Preparations started on Thursday in Rylands where 155 pots of food were cooked, 2 500 Fitra parcels were made and 200 Fitra envelopes were distributed. Nakhlistan wishes to thank all businesses, donors, sponsors and the community for heeding their call during the month of Ram adaan. To continue supporting the organisation, phone 021 633 4016 or 083 231 9279. PHOTO: LULAMA ZENZILE/PHOTO24
RONDEBOSCH EAST: ELECTRICITY COSTS HAMSTRING WOODSIDE SPECIAL CARE CENTRE
Centre’s power struggle NIKITA SYLVESTER
Soaring costs have resulted in low morale and the retrenchment of staff members at the Woodside Special Care Centre. The recent hike in electricity prices has left the facility financially crippled. Cathy Levendall, the manager at the Rondebosch East centre, says their patients are reliant on consistent heating for survival. This means that cutting costs to save on electricity is practically impossible, as their immune systems are low and many of them are disabled and cannot generate their own
body heat by moving around. “If we don’t constantly keep the building warm they may develop flu and pneumonia which could result in death within two to three days,” Levendall says. Woodside offers specialised home-based care to 86 intellectually and physically disabled children and adults. Levendall says despite their budget the electricity spike will reflect a huge deficit as they cannot afford to neglect patients. Since 2008, the cost of electricity supplied by the City of Cape Town has increased steadily from R0.39 to R1.40/kWh. The annual bill of around R600 000 sums up to about R7000 per resident for the month. “The cost of electricity makes up 64% of our total utilities,” she says. Because the patients need the heat to survive, the staff at Woodside have implemented ways of saving electricity and keeping the
We teach Intellectually disabled people the art of manufacturing cementGarden pots, furniture and cement bricks and blocks. Our aim is to enable our trainees to eventually enter the open labour market. Our centre has been active for nearly 30 years and we have a 80% success rate in helping our trainees to enter the workplace. All finished products are available for sale at very competitive rates. Please visit our show area c/o Klipfontein and Johnstone Road, Athlone.
centre warm at the same time. “We recently had our ceilings lowered. We installed solar heating as well as heat pumps to generate warm water,” Levendall explains. “We were really hoping that this would help cut some of the costs, but our electricity bill still rises each month.” She says the most disheartening action they had to take was to retrench five staff members to save money for the electricity bill. “It is so difficult for us to let our staff go because of money constraints. They are all very dependable and helpful. They take exceptionally good care of the children,” Levendall says. After numerous attempts to alert the City of Cape Town to their problem, they were unsuccessful. However, ward councillor Anthea Green
was recently notified about the dire need at Woodside and has agreed to come on board and offer assistance. During a recent meeting with centre management and the councillor, it was agreed that Green would take the matter to the relevant departmental officials. She noted that their dilemma needs to be addressed by three different departments within council. “This is something that would have to be investigated by utilities, billing and social officials,” Green says. She adds that she has already begun liaising with these officials. “At this point I am awaiting feedback on what they can do to assist the centre,” she says. Anyone interested in helping the centre can contact Cheryl Beaton on (021) 696 2811 or visit www.woodside.org.za.
All services performed under strict supervision to ensure quality and customer satisfaction. Our services include :
Contact Denzel / Zorina 021 638 3143 / 0793092261 or email gpc@cmh.org.za / zorina@cmh.org.za for enquiries / quotations Bricks and Blocks Stepping stones Balustrades Table & benches sets from R2.30 to R6.95 from R13.00 each from R19.95 from R1115
Garden Pots from R99
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Contact Russell / Zorina 021 638 3143 / 0793092261 or email russell@cmh.org.za / zorina@cmh.org.za for any enquiries / quotations