LottoStar and Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels continues to lift the financial burden faced by many households across the country due to the national lockdown. As we continue to work together to flatten the curve and social distancing, may we remember Ubuntu by offering help and support to those who need it the most. Please use the GMA platform to nominate families or households hard-hit by the current restrictions. A little does go a long way!

Recipient 1: Vanessa Dempsey, teacher from HTS Witbank, Mpumalanga

Our first R10 000 Angel Rands recipient is dedicated teacher, Vanessa Dempsey, who runs a feeding scheme at HTS Witbank. During the school term, learners from poor households receive sarmies and meals at school and hampers to take home. Vanessa receives donations for food and essentials for the feeding scheme from parents at the school, however, schools had to close early due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This posed a challenge on the project as they couldn’t collect enough food supplies for the families in need. Vanessa’s plea for help on Facebook reached the Good Morning Angels team after being forwarded by an angel named Yolandi Venter. A labour of love indeed!

Recipient 2: Chantal Carr-Williams, a beauty therapist from Pretoria, Gauteng

Chantall, is a mother, wife and sole breadwinner in her family, who runs a beauty therapy salon from her home. However, Chantal, like many other small business owners, is unable to make a living due to the current national lockdown. Chantal’s husband has been unemployed for the past 2 years. Although faced with the devastating financial effects on her household, Chantal never seizes to stretch out her hand and assist others. She provides a weekend and holiday for twin sisters from a local Children’s home. She was nominated by one of her clients, Christine, to be one of the Angel Rands recipients.

Recipient 3: MD “Diet” Masenya, a painter from Newlands, Johannesburg

Dean Bush reached out to GMA requesting assistance for “Diet” – a nickname given to him by his grandmother because he was too skinny – a self-employed painter. Diet suffered the tragedy of losing his wife to HIV. He later fell sick while working at the home of one of Dean’s friends and soon found out that he too is HIV positive. With the current lockdown in place, Diet won’t be able to earn an income and could face eviction from his rented home as he might not be able to pay rent. To add to this, Diet needs to buy food and supplies for his 2 children in Limpopo. What’s even more concerning, is the fact that Diet needs healthy food to boost his immune system because of his HIV status. We are glad that Diet received R10 000 Angel Rands to buy groceries and essentials at his nearest retail.

Recipient 4: Carli Venter and the Kameeldrift Community Project

Carli Venter is part of the trauma unit in Kammeldrift East assisting people her community with any emergency need. Carli is concerned about the high numbers of day labourers, car guards and other non-essential workers in her community who are unable to make ends meet during this lockdown period. She sent a WhatsApp message to the different groups of people serving in her community to come together and assist those in need. Different areas within the area were identified as download and pick up points for donations to be dropped off and facilitated by key personnel in those areas. These good deeds reached GMA from an angel called Mari Grunig and R10 000 in Angel Rands was sent to Carli Venter and the Kameeldrift Community Project.

Recipient 5: Susie Ayres, car guard

Today’s last nominee and recipient of R10 000 Angel Rands is Susie Ayres who works as a guard. Susie is married with 5 children; however, her husband is unemployed, and the family relies on her income and the children’s social grants for a living. With the current national lockdown, things have become even harder for Susie and her family as she won’t be earning a salary to sustain them. The family lives in a Wendy house that they rent together with 9 other families in someone’s backyard. On Wednesday’s, the family receives a meal from the local church and during school terms, 2 of their oldest kids receive food from the school’s feeding scheme. There’s a baby in the household making it difficult to provide food and essentials for the rest of the family. Susie’s angel, Ansie Hartman, also chips in and assist the family by paying the children’s school fees and buying of stationery.