{"id":878103,"date":"2025-12-16T22:36:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/joy-as-woodworkers-donates-toys-to-child-welfare\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T22:36:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:36:53","slug":"joy-as-woodworkers-donates-toys-to-child-welfare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/joy-as-woodworkers-donates-toys-to-child-welfare\/","title":{"rendered":"Joy as woodworkers donates toys to Child Welfare"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SPREADING KINDNESS: Kenton creche supervisor, Zanele Dayile, left, Nomaxabiso Sojona of Kenton Child Welfare offices, and soup kitchen founder, Gladys Hani, smile as they receive toy handouts from members of the Lower Albany Woodworkers\u2019 Guild at Settler\u2019s Park last week. The Guild members back from left to right, Peter Schoring, Rob Snodgrass, Roland Rheeder, Pieter Scheun, Brian Edwards and Rob Avis. Pictures: MARK CARRELS <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
T<\/span>he Lower Albany Woodworkers\u00a0Guild has spread the kindness\u00a0once again after\u00a0their annual toy donations\u00a0outreach\u00a0to\u00a0Kenton Child Welfare.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Role-players from a\u00a0Kenton-on-Sea\u00a0soup kitchen, a cr\u00e8che and child welfare\u00a0offices itself\u00a0were on hand to receive the handmade toys\u00a0crafted by guild members\u00a0at Settler\u2019s Park on\u00a0Tuesday.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Among the items was a crane that\u00a0seemed to get\u00a0special attention, carts, a wooden puzzle,\u00a0cars\u00a0and other items. The trio gleefully discussed the items among themselves before packing them in to their vehicle.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Kenton child welfare social worker,\u00a0Nomaxabiso\u00a0Sojona,\u00a0said it was always exciting\u00a0to collect\u00a0the toys as it had a positive impact on the children.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe are excited because every year there is always\u00a0a new item\u00a0\u2026 and these are useful for the kids.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cAnd\u00a0 toys\u00a0are\u00a0expensive and not easy to buy. The children are so happy and excited when they get these toys.\u00a0They take turns playing with them.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Sojona\u00a0said\u00a0their office\u00a0was\u00a0grateful for the\u00a0assistance\u00a0various\u00a0organisations like the woodworkers\u2019 guild\u00a0were\u00a0making to\u00a0child\u00a0welfare throughout the year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cPeople in\u00a0our\u00a0communities are donating even clothes; and we really appreciate the hand-\u00a0outs because we really need these types of items.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0also\u00a0are reliant on\u00a0funding from the department of social development\u00a0who are paying\u00a0our salaries.\u00a0The\u00a0after\u00a0care\u00a0centres\u00a0and the pre-schools are providing meals for the kids.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cFamilies\u00a0are struggling\u00a0because they are\u00a0not working, while\u00a0others depend on grants\u00a0\u2013 at least the kids\u00a0know they\u00a0get\u00a0a meal\u00a0at the school,\u201d added\u00a0Sojona.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Gladys Hani\u00a0has\u00a0run a soup kitchen from her home since 1998 feeding scores of children in need of a\u00a0meal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWhen I look at the environment and the situation in their homes, it keeps me going.\u00a0I treat them as my own\u00a0children,\u201d said Hani.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cI am\u00a0very happy\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0kindness\u00a0here today, I know\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not easy\u00a0\u2026\u00a0funding is difficult as we\u00a0(soup kitchen)\u00a0are not\u00a0funded by government.\u00a0It\u00a0(government)\u00a0is\u00a0saying that they cannot subsidise me because the children are getting meals at\u00a0school\u00a0 and\u00a0guardians and parents\u00a0are receiving grants. But a lot of people are opening hearts and\u00a0pockets and that\u00a0makes\u00a0us\u00a0happy,\u201d said Hani.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Guild chair, Avis,\u00a0who was re-elected\u00a0at\u00a0 the\u00a0AGM,\u00a0said it gave them pleasure to\u00a0assist\u00a0and to\u00a0do acts of\u00a0kindness\u00a0that helped the\u00a0disadvantaged sectors of the community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe have\u00a0being\u00a0doing this for a long time now and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0our way of giving something back to the community. We have nine meetings a year\u00a0once a month on\u00a0every Tuesday.\u00a0At every\u00a0meeting\u00a0we put down a challenge\u00a0for members to produce items;\u00a0it can be anything from a toilet paper holder\u00a0to the toys that are on display.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Avis said the membership was a mix between\u00a0highly-skilled\u00a0pros\u00a0and hobbyists.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cOne of our members, Brian Edwards, makes miniature items for sale; others have workshops, while people like\u00a0myself\u00a0rergard\u00a0it purely as a hobby.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cA lot of members\u00a0do it for themselves\u00a0but others like retired Rob Moss works\u00a0every day\u00a0form Bathurst where he has a workshop\u00a0and we also do work at the Bathurst Agricultural\u00a0show\u00a0but we can only sell once the show is over.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Avis said meetings are on the first Tuesday of every month and those interested in joining the woodworkers\u2019 guild can\u00a0make contact with\u00a0the organisation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
All\u00a0current committee members were re-elected to their positions for 2026\u00a0as follows:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Vice-chair (Pieter\u00a0Scheun), treasurer (Roland\u00a0Rheeder), secretary (Rob Snodgrass\u00a0and Henry de Lange), member (Brian Edwards).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n