Mutual & Federal donates to the elderly on Mandela Day
Nelson Mandela spent 67 years of his life making the world a better place. And so, Mutual & Federal donated R67 000 to Meals on Wheels to feed and support the elderly community on Mandela’s 93rd birthday.
“Mr. Mandela is very fortunate to have the love and support of his family and the nation, but many elderly people are not so fortunate and have been neglected or abused. We have made a monetary donation associated with ‘67’ minutes to support the elderly, as we celebrated one of our country’s oldest and most respected leaders,” says Laurien Comyn, Group Marketing Manager for Mutual & Federal.
The Meals on Wheels service is run mostly by volunteers who prepared, delivered and served 10.1 million meals in 2010 to South Africa’s struggling elderly in the comfort of their own homes.
Usually prepared in specially-equipped Meals on Wheels kitchens, the meals are delivered by a special delivery vehicle that is manned by a driver and a ‘hopper’. Hoppers not only present the meals to the senior citizens, they also lend an ear to the lonely and offer guidance and advice wherever needed.
“Mutual & Federal arranged our own volunteering opportunity for staff members in collaboration with Meals on Wheels for the 2011 Mandela Day. Our staff and colleagues assisted with kitchen duties and interacted with seniors at three Gauteng-based homes for the elderly,” adds Comyn.
“We strive to make a change and uplift communities. Every act makes a difference, just like the story of the young man throwing starfish back into the ocean before they die,” adds Comyn. “The story paints a picture of a mile-long stretch of beach where many starfish needed to be rescued before the sun rose and the tide went out. When someone told the young man he couldn’t make a difference, the young man replied after picking up yet another starfish and throwing it into the ocean: It made a difference for that one.”
In response to calls by various organizations to make every day Mandela Day, Comyn says: “We challenge our clients and staff to make a difference daily, even if it is to change the life of one person in need.”
Through the Old Mutual Care & Share programme that runs throughout the year, there are various events that already allow Mutual & Federal staff the opportunity to get actively involved in community projects, such as Habitat for Humanity.
“Recently, approximately 840 staff from Old Mutual, Mutual & Federal, Nedbank, MS Life and Acsis collaborated with Old Mutual and built six houses in five days for members of the community,” concludes Comyn.
Mutual & Federal is one of the leading short-term insurers in southern Africa.
