Nazareth House Johannesburg was established in 1896 with the objective to serve the homeless human casualties of the sprawling mining camp that was Johannesburg. Nazareth House aims to improve the lives of men, women and children who are not able to care for themselves and those living with the effects of HIV and AIDS.
The aim is achieved through the provision of comprehensive caring services to:-
- Approximately 35 abandoned/orphaned HIV positive babies and children
- Terminally ill patients in the Hospice (about 20 at any given time)
- Support group members who are part of the Hospice, through skills training e.g. bead-work, cooking, baking, sewing, knitting and computer skills
- Financially burdened or destitute frail aged, about 130 people
- Approximately 20 destitute or abandoned mentally challenged women
- About 1,300 people living with the effects of HIV and AIDS and their families as well as the poor and destitute through an outreach programme through which they receive food, counseling and care.
The Knights of Da Gama, council 47, hold an annual Christmas party for the children at Nazareth House on the 16 December every year at Nazareth House.
The annual Christmas party is filled with fun and is attended by Brother Knights and their families, we have managed to have a Father Christmas attend and hand out gifts to the children every year for the last 15 years since we started this annual event. The children thoroughly enjoy it and like other children, get to open their gifts on Christmas Day.
We encourage all our fellow parishioners to join us on this pleasurable and humbling day on the 16th December.