Surprise for shoppers

Some shoppers at Popular Discount, Kendall Hill, Christ Church, were in for a surprise on Saturday when members of a local church handed them food packages.

While Compassion For All Mankind (CFAM) Ministry, headed by Pastor Jippy Doyle, only intended to hand out 50-odd food packages containing basic food items valued at $25 00, at the end of the day, they exceeded that amount, after the number of people in need who approached them increased, particularly as word spread.

The elderly, disabled and mothers who are struggling to feed large households, received the much needed assistance, and left the supermarket complex smiling from ear to ear and thanking God for their blessing.

Co-ordinator of the project Susan Cutting said the decision was made for the church to help Barbadians struggling to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to show them kindness and compassion at this difficult time.

“We don’t know how long this situation is going to persist so it was laid upon Dr Doyle’s heart to give back to Barbados. Therefore today we want to give out these food vouchers to persons that we will be able to help them,” Cutting said.

“We did not make a public announcement due to the fact that we are supposed to be on a 24 hour curfew right now and we want to comply with what the government has implemented but also that we wouldn’t cause any chaos. So as persons come in and we see a person that is elderly we call them one side and give them a card and we mark the amount of money that we want them to receive in foodstuff and they take it into the cashier and they get the hamper,” Cutting said.

Cutting who was accompanied by fellow Coordinator Sherry Howell thanked the management of Popular Discount for facilitating the initiative. (AH)