Telephone: 064 677 2446
Email: salemcrossroadsght@gmail.com
Christian Care Centre
Mission Statement
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
MATHEW 25 v 35-40
About Us
In 1982 a Christian man, Noel Banfield had a vision; a safe haven to accommodate homeless men of all races. He took his vision and turned it into a reality. He bought both a farm 11km from Grahamstown on the N2 and a house in York Street. We can accommodate 25 men on the farm and 9 in the house, although the house is reserved for State pensioners and grant recipients who are unable to afford accommodation elsewhere.
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The ‘farm’ known as the Salem Crossroads Christian Care Centre is 11km from Grahamstown and has a new manager. Mr Wessel Pretorius took control on the 9th October this year. A committed Christian and experienced farmer, his input into both the operational management of the farm and the spiritual lives of the residents has been invaluable.
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The title of the centre has a dual meaning. It refers both to the location near the crossroad of the Salem road and the N2, and to the spiritual crossroad reached in the lives of those living at the centre. At a crossroad one is confronted with a choice; whether to go left, right, backward or forward. The choice is what Salem Crossroads becomes to each man that comes to live there.
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And who are the residents? The mix is eclectic, from men in their twenties to men in their sixties. Recovering alcoholics and addicts who are referred to a rehabilitation program at the Substance Abuse and Treatment unit at Fort England Hospital, pensioners who cannot afford to stay elsewhere or those men left destitute due to unemployment. The one thing in in common with the residents is the hope of putting the pieces of their lives back together, to regain self-respect and eventually become reintegrated into society.
The spiritual lives of the men is important to Wessel. He facilitates the morning daily devotion which gives the residents a part of God’s word to meditate on during the coming day. Each Sunday transport is provided to the church of your choice. A home cell group in Grahamstown is attended on a Tuesday evening and we share a group on the farm each Wednesday night.
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Residents are kept busy in the day-to-day running of the farm. Some work in the nursery. Germinating seedlings and bringing them up is labour intensive. There is a lot of weeding and watering that goes on through the day, especially when the sun is out!
The wood team is kept busy harvesting wood that we sell by the bakkie load to local Grahamstown businesses and in smaller quantities from the farm stall itself. And, over the past month the team have been invaluable in tidying up what, in the past, was a messy area of ground.
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The kitchen team keeps us all fed a healthy and filling 3 meals a day, no easy task and they cope admirably producing delicious meal after delicious meal like clockwork.
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The farm stall itself keeps 2 residents occupied. There is never a time where there is ‘nothing’ to do. We could have another dozen residents and keep them all busy.
Nursery
Our nursery at Salem Crossroads is a treasure trove of plants and worth the short drive from Grahamstown. And we do it all ourselves organically. We make our own humus, propagate all our plants from seeds and cuttings, growing them into strong vital additions to anyone’s garden and we offer a large range at excellent prices. We also have our own worm farm that produces excellent organic fertiliser, and yes, we do sell worms!
From seedlings shrubs and small trees, vegetables flowers and fruit, bonsai to beetroot, our tunnel and nursery stocks it all and the experienced knowledgeable staff is a well of sound advice to help you with ideas for your own garden, and answer most questions you might have. And, if we don’t stock it, we can grow specific plants to order at unbeatable prices.
The nursery team are a dedicated group of residents and work hard watering and weeding, planting and pruning. Looking after the day-to-day demands of thousands of plants is a full time occupation and worth every minute as they see their efforts bloom and blossom each day. Learning under the guidance of the more experienced members of the team, new comers, eager to learn, are equipped with a new set of skills and experience. There are men who trained up at the Salem Crossroads nursery who have moved forward into permanent jobs at other nurseries. It is not only the plants that grow, but the men who work with them too.
Pay us a visit and spend an hour or two walking around, looking at the selection on offer. Something will grab your interest and chances are that you won’t leave empty handed. We look forward to helping you.
Farm Stall
The Salem Crossroads Farm Stall is always worth a stop for the weary traveller and visitor alike, and is conveniently situated at the junction of the N2 and the road to Salem and the sea.
We are always increasing and improving on the range of products that we stock. We sell cold drinks both bought and homemade. Our lemonade is to die for and we also produce our own Salem Crossroads bottled water. We have snacks and cigarettes, quality pies and baked treats, biltong and Springbok skins, and with the festive season upon us, come and order a Christmas tree. We will cut and conveniently deliver it to your door.
Standing proud among the food stuffs are found wood and flower sculptures, wooden owls and snow men, and an increasing selection of quirky art. Pay us a visit and you might that Christmas present that you are looking for.
The Wood Team
From Salem Crossroads we supply both bags and bakkie loads of wood from the farm, or delivered to your door. We supply a number of local Grahamstown businesses on a regular basis and the Wood Team is kept hard at work cutting trees and splitting the trunks into user friendly sized logs. At R450 per bakkie load delivered to Grahamstown, our prices are competitive.
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With the Christmas season upon us we also supply Christmas Trees to order for collection or delivery. Contact us to place your order.
The Wood Team has a creative aspect as well making wooden owls and snow men. These quaint additions to your family are available from our farm stall or can be ordered. Take a look at the pictures and see if you can resist buying one!
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An additional function of the Wood Team is cleaning up the farm itself. When Wessel Pretorius took over as farm manager, the state of the farm left a bit to be desired. Today the changes are noticeable as tractor load after tractor load of scrap is delivered to the workshop to be sorted and sold. The farm looks better every day. Come and visit us and we will give you a tour of the farm, its operations and our plans for further improvement.
How Can You Help
Providing board and lodging for 25 men is not inexpensive. Some residents pay R900 per month for a warm comfortable bed and three meals a day, but half the residents are unable to afford this. Although some men are able to contribute by working on the farm, about 80% have medical conditions and are limited to light work. We are therefore dependent on our sales from the Farm Stall, Nursery and wood to cover costs and it isn’t easy. We have already used most of the trees available on the farm and wood sales as a source of income is threatened.
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We are dependent on support from the community in the form of ad hoc donations. This can be in the form of cash, food, bedding, clothing or anything else that might be cluttering up your home. We let nothing go to waste.
In addition the main house and outbuildings that house the residents are in a pitiful condition. There are broken windows, collapsing floors and leaky roofs. Perhaps you are in a position to help restore a room or building to a liveable condition.
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Pay us a visit, look around and maybe you will be moved to assist an organisation that provides an invaluable service to men who, through circumstances, have been cast away to the fringes of society. You will be helping them recover their sense of self-worth, dignity and purpose until they are ready to rejoin mainstream society.
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If you are in a position to help please contact Wessel Pretorius on his cell phone number; 064 677 2446 or via email to salemcrossroadsght@gmail.com.
