Help Pay Volmoed Staff Wages in lean winter months

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS THAT SUPPORT OUR VOLMOED STAFF!

At Volmoed we often say that our staff are our greatest treasure and our most important asset.  Some have worked at Volmoed for many of its forty years, with loyalty and commitment, while the younger and newer staff bring fresh energy and motivation to the staff team as a whole. What a gift they each and all are to those who live at Volmoed and to the visitors who come to Volmoed.

There is a maintenance team, property/gardens team, and housekeeping team, each with their own manager. The aging infrastructure keeps the maintenance team on their toes with many ongoing challenges.  The property/gardens team tackle the never ending challenge of alien vegetation growth, beautiful trees getting older that need to be cut down, or trees falling over in the massive winter winds and rain storms of this year, and keeping the gardens beautiful and tidy in the way that makes visitors smile, feel peaceful, and want to return. When we are full day after day, weekend after weekend, the housekeeping team work at a fast pace to clean and organize for new visitors, though in winter the pace can be slower as guests are hesitant to brave the cold nights and muddy roads or sometimes having no power after the storms. 

In April the staff joined in the 40^th anniversary celebrations in April in a big way.  They attended the big Celebration event, but also totally organized the large and scrumptious BBQ picnic lunch for residents, staff, the young people, and invited guests. 

The picnic site was newly established by the property staff, who had cut some of the many trees that had fallen down in storms into beautiful long picnic tables with legs, as well as benches, to make this beautiful new picnic site. It was a gloriously gorgeous day on which to launch this site, and included speeches, stories, laughter, and great BBQ and the organizing skills of the staff. Totally memorable!  

In April the garden/property staff also designed and made the Desmond Tutu rose garden, in memory of our beloved patron.  Ten Tutu rose bushes were planted, alongside a running water feature that sounds beautiful when one sits on the nearby bench. This was dedicated as part of the anniversary celebrations in April.

This past month a large water leak was discovered by accident when they were trying to find a break in a lengthy electricity cable that was not working.  Thankfully the break in the cable was found and the cable replaced, and the water leak we would not otherwise have known about, was fixed.  

A young couple, Sarah and Dave, moved into Volmoed in June, living simply in their caravan, and will stay for about six months. Staff worked hard to make a level concrete slab that forms the floor of an outside room with tent walls next to the caravan, and to build a small bathroom next to their caravan spot. Their teamwork and professionalism made this all possible.  STAFF AT WORK PHOTO

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR WONDERFUL STAFF AND GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ONGOING GENEROUS SUPPORT THAT SUSTAINS THEIR WORK AND THE WORK OF VOLMOED. 

THANK YOU!

Links:

• Volmoed Staff Report (with pictures!)

• Volmoed Staff Report (with pictures!) (PDF)