IN addition to celebrating their 68th birthday on May 5 this year, local non-profit Community Chest has also welcomed changes from their new CEO, Selwyn Willis, who was appointed in July last year.
Community Chest has played a central role in the welfare sector since 1952.
Willis has always been involved with charities, be it directly or indirectly. Originally from Cape Town, he moved to Gauteng in 1991 to start a career as one of the first male flight attendants of colour to join SAA.
After travelling the globe for nearly 10 years, he decided to study further and graduated from the Tshwane University of Technology with a degree in versatile broadcasting (cum laude), which saw him enter the world of radio and television.
He did regular stints on popular radio stations such as 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Jacaranda FM and Algoa FM. He is now with MannMade Radio. Willis considers himself blessed in so many areas and sees this time as a way of giving back for all the success he has achieved over the years.
His regular interactions and close associations with Community Chest and its past directors recently saw him take the reins at the NPO. His vision is to make Community Chest relevant, prominent and a trusted business partner, especially in corporate social investment (CSI) projects. Last year, Community Chest assisted more than 200 beneficiary organisations. Their focus areas are education, health, skills development and community development.
According to Willis, “We cannot sit idle while our country is facing incredible challenges with poverty, unemployment and crime. It is incumbent on us as citizens of this country and our civic duty to continue enhancing our communities and restoring hope among our people.”
