Loraine Gregorini’s journey from salon owner to safe haven volunteer is rooted in faith, compassion, and a calling to serve abandoned children.
When Loraine had to close the doors of her beloved hair salon in 2018, she had no idea that her next chapter would bring even deeper purpose. For 30 years, she poured her heart into her salon, not just creating beauty through hairstyling, but offering hope to women who sat in her chair.
“I am a 50-year-old who feels like I have never worked in my life, because I was blessed to do what I loved,” she says. “Making clients’ hair beautiful was just a bonus. I always believed God made it easy for me to bring change by placing clients in my chair.”
But when back pain forced her to step away from her salon, Loraine asked a bigger question: “God, what do You want me to do now?”
It was during worship at church that she received a vision. “I saw an abandoned little boy in the desert, dust on his face, tears rolling down his cheeks. I knew it was from God.”
The very next day, she reached out to Talitha Cumi Safe Haven, a registered place of safety for children in Bloemfontein.
The connection was immediate. “Marilu, the house mother, and founder Mariette Boshoff, whom I affectionately called Mommy B, welcomed me with such love that I never left,” says Loraine. “The first time I held one of the babies, I knew this was where God wanted to use me.”
Talitha Cumi Baby House opened in 2010 and is registered to care for 26 abused, neglected or abandoned children between the ages of two and ten.
“It is the greatest joy to see them develop and become healthy and strong,” says Loraine. “These children didn’t ask to be here, but while they are, we get to love and nurture them before they’re placed with foster families or adopted.”
With help from her church, friends and broader community, Loraine coordinates various outreach programmes. One of her favourites is the annual winter drive.
“Each child receives their own brand-new winter clothing. For many of them, it’s a first, and the smiles are priceless. We make it a celebration. I believe it helps to replace painful memories with joyful ones.”
To preserve the children’s safety and dignity, outings and experiences are carefully curated and kept private. “We want every child to know their worth, that they deserve the best in life.”
This August, Talitha Cumi will host its fifth fundraising golf day, a key event to support ongoing projects.
Often, visitors to the baby house come seeking to give but leave having received something unexpected. “When someone holds one of our babies, I often see healing in them too. Giving of ourselves to a child in need gives us a sense of purpose,” she reflects.
Much of Loraine’s growth she attributes to the late Mariette. “She became my spiritual mother and mentor. A phenomenal warrior, she saw the good in everyone and treated all people with unconditional love, no matter their background.”
She recalls times when she struggled with letting go of children placed in loving homes. “Mommy B reminded me that God promised her, ‘If you care for them while they’re here, I will be with them the rest of their lives’. That brought peace to my heart.”
Under Mariette’s guidance, Loraine says she became a prayer warrior. “When a baby is found in a dustbin or veld, and barely holding on, you really learn what it means to have faith and to speak life.”
Volunteering has changed Loraine’s entire family. “My children learned that life doesn’t just revolve around them. They learned to be difference makers. The Talitha Cumi kids taught us gratitude, humility, and how to keep our joy in any circumstance.”
She also praises the house mothers. “They are legends in my eyes. They raise these children like their own and do everything with excellence and love. I always remind people to bless and celebrate the mommies too. A mother’s energy flows into her children.”
One of Talitha Cumi’s dreams, long carried by Mariette, is now materialising through the Talitha Cumi Village project. Though funding is limited, construction began in faith. Today, five houses, three completed, stand on one property. Each house will eventually become a long-term home for eight children who have no traceable family.
“Unless formally adopted, we will care for these children until they become independent young adults ready to impact the world,” Loraine explains.
Support from individuals, companies and donors, whether through discounts, skills or donations, has been crucial. “We can’t do what we do without the community. Mommy B always said, ‘When people of like spirit take hands to accomplish a mutual goal, success is inevitable’.”
“It’s so fulfilling to walk in my calling,” Loraine says. “I always tell people, don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it. Maybe you’re not meant to make soup, maybe you’re meant to provide the cups. Use what you have. Start with the person in front of you.”
She adds, “If there’s a stirring in your heart reading this, contact me. This is a heart thing, something you must feel.”
As she continues to serve, she carries Mariette’s legacy forward with joy, faith and the belief that every child deserves a fighting chance.
She lives by this scripture: “Psalm 82:3: Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.”
Text: JUSTINE FORTUIN Photograph(s): SUPPLIED
