Amcare Centre of Faith, Hope and Love

In 2001 a vision was born and Rev Neil Robinson and the Leaders of the Alberton Methodist Church decided to establish an outreach program t o reach out in love and care to its broader community …to feed the hungry, care for the destitute, heal the sick and look after the orphans and the elderly. . In March 2001 a Steering Committee was formed under Chairpersonship of the late Dave Bevan. A social survey of the Alberton Community was done and it was decided to provide a Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence, Comprehensive HIV & AIDS services and Skills Development Services.

A Constitution was written by Dr Vernon van Wyk and adopted by the Church Council on 13th October 2001. Application was made to the Department of Social Development for registration as a Non-Profit Organization . AMCARE (Alberton Methodist Care and Relief Enterprise) was registered with NPO no. 016 772 on 17th January 2002. AMCARE started operations in 2002 in premises adjacent to the Alberton Methodist Church, in what used to be racing stables and out in the communities. The premises now include second-hand stores (in the old stables), a perma-culture garden, a day-care centre for the Cancer Association, a primary health care service, a charming 22-seater chapel, training facilities, offices and a shelter for abused women and children.

In its latest exciting development, AMCARE has partnered with Right to Care and the Gauteng Dept of Health to establish an Anti-Retroviral Clinic on its premises. Currently our HIV patients number approximately 800 per month and our ARV patients number 200 or more per month. In six months time we envisage distributing medication to approximately 1500 patients per month and within a year this number of ARV patients will probably increase to close to 2000.

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