Gateway Society pulls out the masses
In case you missed out on the Gateway Society's Christmas market day, read about what went down.
The annual Christmas market hosted by the Gateway Society in Ruimsig on 2 December was a hugely successful event.
With over 50 stalls offering handmade and second-hand goods at reasonable prices, local residents had enough reason to spend much of their day supporting the cause.
The massive attendance this year, which also stunned the fundraiser, Moira Short, was made possible by the introduction of a beer garden and live band which kept the attendees singing along and dancing to great classic jams.
This non-profit organisation, in existence for 45 years, caters for the physical, emotional and social development of intellectually and physically disabled persons from nursery school age to adulthood.
Its goal is to ensure that each individual leads a happy, dignified and meaningful life, while maintaining a structured environment in which they can enjoy respect, love and care.
Short shared the organisation’s future plans. “In this tough economic climate where donations to charities have become increasingly scarce, we have redirected our focus and are in the process of developing an entirely new approach to ensure that The Gateway Society is able to sustain itself going forward.
“We have the opportunity to create small enterprises (SMMEs) within our facilities to manufacture, produce and create products, items and merchandise.
Instead of holding out the begging bowl, we would rather encourage collaborative investment with CSI corporates to help us create gainful and profitable returns on funding received than see their funding continuously poured into a hole that is never filled,” she explained.
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