The number one killer in this world of the elderly is not stress; it is loneliness… and our local ‘Bad Boy’ wants to do everything to combat this.
Johannesburg, South Africa (18 January 2022) – In a world currently ravished by COVID-19, extended lockdowns, loss of jobs and businesses, and general apathy out there, one man is making a difference to the elderly specific by spending time with them, spreading love, compassion, joy, Christmas and birthday gifts.
That man is Gregg Mitchley from the Gregg Mitchley Foundation, a foundation he started in 2019 specifically for alleviating loneliness in the elderly.
“The number one killer in this world of the elderly is not stress; it is loneliness,” Mitchley explains.
Gregg, a former self-proclaimed “bad boy”, always had a passion for spending quality time with the elderly, even from a young age. When his dad passed away in 2017, he vowed to return to the nursing home that looked after his dad with his own foundation, making a difference to those who may be forgotten.
Two years later, almost to the day, he walked into the same nursing home after having started his GMF foundation and immediately started working tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of many elderlies. Today GMF supports several nursing homes, and recently Gregg dressed up in a Father Christmas suit and delivered gift bags to several nursing homes.
But who is Gregg Mitchley?
If you met this muscular tattooed gentleman around seven years ago, you probably would have run in the opposite direction as he was on a very negative trajectory in his personal life. Having just got divorced, mixing with the “not so great” crowd and being involved in more bar brawls than an MMA fighter, he was presented with a serious life choice in 2015.
Many take the wrong turn when faced with a crossroad, but thankfully, a dear friend of Gregg’s got him involved in a church camp that changed his life forever for good.
He managed to pull himself together, and the rest is history. Gregg is now living his passion and running a successful foundation. But as anything charity related goes, he needs constant funding for the various nursing homes that the Gregg Mitchley Foundation supports.
The Gregg Mitchley Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation, and donations such as food items, personal hygiene items, treats, building maintenance services and cash donations are always more than welcome. GMF, however, do so much more than simply donate food, personal items and gifts. Gregg will often arrange pamper days for the elderly ladies and gents, including haircuts for the ladies and gents, having the ladies’ nails done, organising music and treats, etc.
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He (Gregg) also previously arranged a 7-day holiday for four elderly people in their seventies to visit the ocean for the first time in their lives. This coincidently was not only the first time they’ve ever seen the ocean, stood on sand on a beach, but also their very first holiday ever. The four were spoilt rotten by Gregg and his foundation for seven days and treated to the hilt with every holiday spoil you can possibly imagine.
We can all do with a bit more kindness, and his motto says it all: “Kindness in Action”.
To assist Gregg and his foundation, please get hold of him via his website; www.gmf.co.za.
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