PHILIPSBURG–The Department of Social Services have teamed up with food suppliers and businesses to provide essential food items to needy families in the community under an initiative named “Feed our families.”
Under the programme, participating businesses will donate basic non-perishable food items to some 50 families who have been identified by the Department. Food items will also be donated to the New Testament Baptist Church soup kitchen and Bishop Ellis Foundation.
The Department signed one year Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the businesses involved on Monday. Participating food suppliers and businesses are Prime Distributors, Le Grand Marché and Sunny Foods. An MOU also was signed with Bimaco, which will donate food supplies to the New Testament Baptist Church soup kitchen and Bishop Ellis Foundation.
The procedure calls for families to report on a monthly basis to the Department of Social Services to have a food card stamped. The card also should be stamped at the point of collection at the designated supermarket. Participants in the initiative will be monitored closely by social workers and the Department of Social Services will extend its ongoing long-term care for the most vulnerable in our society.
Labour Affairs head and Social Services acting head Peggy-Ann Dros-Richardson said a few more than 600 persons received financial aid from government, so there were ample persons from whom authorities could choose for this initiative. She told reporters at the signing ceremony on Monday that it had been the wish of the late Patricia Pantophlet, who worked at the department for many years, that the department “reach out and assist those less fortunate.”
“From this wish, I was able to encourage team members to join me in a Food in the Box programme, whereby each month they (workers) commit to donate one or more non-perishable goods in a designated box at the Department. The response last month was overwhelming, and three families received a box each, enough to feed a family of four to six persons.”
With this in mind, a meeting was held in October to raise the idea for the “Feed our Families” programme with food suppliers in St. Maarten. She said negotiations had been completed and the MOUs were ready to be signed on Monday after long, tireless hours by social workers Jacqueline Wilson, Rachel Doorson-Gefferie and Gisella Hilliman.
“It goes without saying that without their cooperation and willingness to commit, this would not have been possible today. We are grateful,” she said. “Poverty knows no name, it knows no ethnicity, it doesn’t differentiate between nationalities, it doesn’t recognise your country of birth and many times than not, the inability to gain means to access food is the very first sign that poverty has come home. Right here, in paradise.”
Prime Distributor official Danny Ramchandani said this was the first time such an organised initiative had been in place where food supplies could be given to the needy in the community. He said the company did not know who the real needy persons are and Prime Distributors was happy that this initiative had been taken.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Bimaco representative Andre Dijkhoffz, who said while the company always had given donations to schools and social organisations in the community, it was happy that such a programme had been established. He said this was a step in the right direction and encouraged other establishments to follow suit.
Le Grand Marché official Anil Sabnani said that at the end of the day it was not just food suppliers who should be donating to those in need. He said anyone who could help to “make a difference,” should get on board to assist as this would make a difference in the future of St. Maarten.
He encouraged businesses that want to help to contact the team at Social Affairs and play their respective roles. – The Daily Herald
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