December Holiday Season is a time for Giving
Whether you call it the holiday season or Christmas,
I think it’s safe to say that it is a time for spending with family and showing
your loved ones that you care. It is
also the time of the year to give to those in need and to be charitable. Even
though there are many of us that have charities that we regularly donate to
already, there are those who do not.
Since time is the
most valuable resource we have and we never seem to have enough of, being
charitable can fall lower and lower on the rung of people’s priorities. The
good news is that there are many ways to participate and really make a
difference in someone’s life. People in general seem more interested in
giving gifts that make a difference in other people's lives. A well-chosen charitable donation made in
lieu of a present can be perceived as a profoundly meaningful gesture during a
season of thoughtless consumption.
As some of
you may know, I am currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. I was
diagnosed in May 2012 and frankly the entire process since then has been a
blur...it's just all happened so fast! I'm close to the end of the chemo
sessions (taxol) and then destined for 6 weeks of radiation. Being a “widowed orphan” and a single mother of two
almost adult children, coming to terms with my cancer diagnosis and undergoing
chemotherapy has been one very rocky road (and nothing like the ice-cream!)! To
top it off, I am self-employed!
As you may
realise, undergoing treatment has a seriously negative impact on the ability to
work and in my case generate any income. Chemotherapy, complementary medication and
other lifestyle changes can be unforeseen surprise! And not one of the good
ones!
I have also learnt that having cancer can be a
very lonely ordeal even when surrounded by family and friends. Psychologically it impacts on a person’s
self-esteem, confidence and independence. Physically, you look and feel like a train wreck.
Financially, you learn to live with the basics and contemplate the positive
sides of both living and dying.
However, If
your financial situation is already dire, being diagnosed with cancer just
catapults you into an even more difficult struggle. There are many
cancer-challenged families out there who are in this very position. My greatest
desire is to help these families in any little way that I can. I have called
upon many of you in the past to help others in a desperate position and you
have been most generous. Thank you. If
there ever was a time that I need your help, it is right now!
I have
managed to find Christmas Hampers which contain most needed food items which I
would like to distribute to those in need in JHB for now. The Christmas Hampers consist of both basic
and luxury food items housed in any 10 litre bucket with a lid. The total cost
of the Hamper is R 150.00. In order to make a difference, I would like to
distribute 300 hampers before Christmas Day. With the help of the PLWC (People
Living With Cancer), we have identified needy cancer-challenged patients at the
Charlotte Maxeke (Jhb Gen) Hospital as well as other patients who are part of
the PLWC Support Group.
I have not registered a charity as yet,
and trust that you will find it in your heart to give generously towards this
campaign, as you have done in the past. Perhaps there are others that you may
know who may want to give a donation in
lieu of a gift this year!
The aim is to make some difference to
families afflicted with cancer facing financial crises. Let’s bring a smile to
their faces as they remember happier, healthier holiday seasons.
When
Christmas bells are swinging above
the fields of snow,
We hear sweet voices
ringing from
lands of long ago,
And etched on vacant
places
Are half-forgotten faces
Of friends we used to
cherish,
and loves we used to
know.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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