DoM in Caxton Local Newspaper, Jozi

Charity helps charity
by Amanda Watson
Joburg : At its inaugural function, Dykes of Mercy (DoM) raised nearly R20
000 for Meals on Wheels.
At a classy event at Albert Hoons Long Table in Westdene, people from around Johannesburg emptied their wallets and raised thousands. Among the items auctioned were Chris Kirchoff and Robert Hamblin photographic prints, as well as a handywoman for a day!
Dom grandmistress Sally-Jean Shackleton said, "A huge thank you to everyone who attended and donated items for auction. We are making a huge difference with very little effort and I would like to encourage others to get out there and start their own little giving stokvel."
What was once a small idea in the mind of Shackleton became a reality in September last year when she gathered 11 of her friends, and suggested they start a modest charitable organisation. "Those of us who are relative 'haves' want to do something to help, but sometimes the need feels
overwhelming. We wanted to do something that was manageable, and that would make more of a difference than giving R5 at a streetlight," said Shackleton. In the past year, an average of about R1 500 has been donated each month, and some of the people and charities that have benefited include a cleaner at a member's workplace, a financially strapped student at a university, the Ethembeni Children's Home in Doornfontein, a worker in Greenside, a Lesothan
outreach programme, a beggar in Greymont and a couple in Alexandra who support their family by collecting scrap metal.

In essence, the DoM is a 'giving stokvel'. Every month, its members gather at one person's house, with guests in tow. They each place R150 into a kitty and their names into a hat. The person whose name is drawn is given the cash to distribute as she sees fit. At the next meeting the giver will report to whom the money went - and the process begins again. "In the past year the members have had fun giving - it's not all herbal teas and serious tear-jerker stories. Our meetings are wine-soaked get-togethers for friends who share a similar set of values," said Caroline Smith, a founding member of DoM.