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GEORGE NEWS - An appeal for blankets by Oudtshoorn Dogs in Need (Odin) on Facebook in October, brought great rewards for this no-kill, non-profit, animal welfare organisation.
Seeing the post on Odin's Facebook page, Yandiswa Fuzani of dotsure.co.za heeded the call. After getting the go-ahead from Marisa Bakkes, dotsure.co.za general claims manager, she phoned Odin to find out how they could assist.
As an insurance company that prides itself on giving soft landings to its clients, as well as the communities they live and work in, dotsure.co.za's perseverance in uplifting organisations like Odin testifies to the kindness that underpins everything they do.
Fuzani learned that Odin currently houses 180 dogs and, with the input of Nicole Swart from the dotsure.co.za Culture Committee, set the team a target of two blankets per dog - a total of 360 blankets, with a stretch target of 460.
Orange blankets
The goal was to "paint Odin orange". They planned to achieve this by requesting cash contributions to purchase orange fleece material, which would then be made into blankets by a family friend, Ouma Ralie Hattingh.
The team raised an incredible R11 812 and Ouma Ralie spent many late nights making 434 blankets - 74 more than the initial goal.
The additional funds went towards a further 31 blankets.
Because this blanket drive was an employee-led initiative, the company wanted to give the entire team a fair chance to be part of the handover to Odin, and so, names were drawn from a box.
Photo gallery: Blankets for animals at Odin
Leani Stones offered to use her personal vehicle for the delivery, while Nicole Swart, Bridgette Mkhendane, Sasha Wilson, Chantelle Groenewald, Antoinette Botes, Monique Holtzhausen, Gerhard Sonnekus and Ouma Ralie all paid a visit to Odin to be part of the handover. Of course, Fuzani, the employee who initially noticed Odin's request for help, was also there.
Initiatives like the Odin Blanket Drive are far from a rare occurrence at dotsure.co.za - the Polar Bear Plunge, Night Walkies, and #1MillionMeals all help uplift and support their communities. Each online pet insurance policy that is bought, also contributes to feeding a shelter dog for a month - at no extra cost to their clients.
As South Africa begins to slowly rebuild after what has been an incredibly difficult year for all, such displays of selflessness and kindness are in desperately short supply.
The actions taken by those with the power and privilege to make a difference are the ones that will truly matter, and lead to a brighter future for all.
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