Omnicor’s Mandela Day Blanket Drive for The Love Trust
Mandela Day, which is celebrated on 18 July annually, inspires many people in South Africa and around the world to offer support, bring joy and a smile to the faces of those in need.
Over the last seven years, Omnicor, a global provider of talent management technology and services, would typically spend Mandela Day at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital volunteering and treating the nursing staff to cake and helping out in the Trauma Unit. However, because of the recent fire, the hospital is still not fully open, leaving the Omnicor team looking for another worthy cause to support.
Assisting the less fortunate
Head of Organisational Development at Omnicor, Colleen McLintock, wanted to see where they could contribute to the community in an impactful and Covid-safe manner. A synergy presented itself between Omnicor and The Love Trust.
The Omnicor team was moved by the contribution that The Love Trust makes and decided to undertake a blanket drive for the beneficiaries of the school. And, as it would have been the late former President, Nelson Mandela’s 103rd birthday in 2021, the Omnicor team aimed to raise this amount between the 26 staff members.
Themba Temba, the Principal of Nokuphila School, said that “the blanket donation is sincerely welcomed and appreciated, as most of our beneficiaries are living in informal settlements and share small spaces with other family members. In times of unbearable cold weather, the donation of blankets will bring much needed comfort.”
A passion for Madiba Day
The culture of care within the Omnicor team served a dual purpose this year, as blankets were sourced from multiple small-businesses to spread the support. Managing Director of Omnicor, Hilton Rudnick committed to match what staff raised, and a total of 103 blankets made its way to the school when it reopened on 26 July.
When McLintock was asked why she is so passionate about Mandela Day, she responded that “Covid has impacted us all, fortunate and less fortunate. We at Omnicor believe that if you want to see change, you have to be it. With the last of the cold weather creeping up on us we decided to do a blanket drive to not just cover individuals with warmth, but to show compassion during these harsh circumstances. As the wise Nelson Mandela said, ‘you cannot do a kindness too soon, because you never know how soon it will be.’”