The rich reward of giving is payment enough for a group of Inyoni Creek retirement village residents who have 'adopted' the frail and financially vulnerable senior citizens who live in nearby Thembalami Care Centre.

Both Inyoni and Thembalami are part of non-profit organisation Rand Aid Association, whose mission it is to provide quality care and accommodation for senior citizens from all walks of life.

While Inyoni residents generally enjoy a financially comfortable life, many of the folk at Thembalami, a short distance away in Lombardy East, rely on state subsidies to get by, with little or no money left for those things that add pleasure to life.

When Inyoni resident Val Bartram made the drive from Inyoni in Lyndhurst to Thembalami in March 2010, little did she know that her life was about to be given new purpose. Touched by the many challenges faced by Thembalami residents, she felt she wanted to give of herself to improve the lives of the residents at the care centre, who had so much less than she did.

And so the Inyoni Angels was formed. While retirement and tighter budgets are a reality for most Inyoni residents, Val and a group of 13 other residents decided to do what they could to make a difference at Thembalami.

Their impact has been huge. Rallying fellow residents, family members and friends to assist in whatever way they can, the Angels have been able to host monthly birthday bashes, Easter parties, Mother's and Father's Day functions and Christmas gatherings - complete with eats, gifts and, most important of all, camaraderie. In addition, they have knitted knee blankets, donated 11 wheelchairs, helped establish an occupational therapy department to stimulate residents, lent assistance with the Alzheimer's ward and have played a role in a refurbishment project that is under way.

Speaking at a work party at which they were wrapping 93 gifts for Father's Day, the Angels spoke of the joy that they have gained from 'turning the lives around' of the 150 people who call Thembalami home.

Says Sue van der Neut, "I get such pleasure from seeing their faces when they receive their gifts."

"They have opened up to us and are more relaxed when we visit because they now know that we won't let them down," adds Iris Clark.

Daphne Pearce says that she gets great joy from knowing that she helps make special memories for 'these special people', while the work they do has made 'us feel more like a family' adds Tildy Eberhard.

"We are very privileged to be living in this village and have so much to be grateful for," says Connie Schultz.

"Indeed," adds Val, saying that after their first visit to the home, the Angels left in tears. "They hugged their gifts to their chests as if they had never had a present before."

Concludes Jean Garlick, who will be donating duvets and pillows to the Alzheimer's ward, "How lucky I am to be able to give."