CIBC FirstCaribbean assists women’s shelter

With a spike in domestic/family violence during the COVID-19 lockdowns locally, the Business and Professional Women’s Club’s (BPW) Crisis Hotline has seen an increase in calls to their Crisis Centre Hotline.

Vice President of the Club, Marlene Hewitt, said the club has been operating the crisis hotline since 1986 and noted that calls relating to family violence, homelessness among women and issues related to suicide had increased in recent times since the onset of the pandemic. They were also getting reports of more homeless women with children, some of which have to be referred to the Welfare Department and Child Care Board.

She revealed this during a recent presentation of computers and toiletries to the club, for use at the Shelter for Abused Women, by CIBC FirstCaribbean.

“Sometimes the women come to us with nothing but the clothes on their backs and we have to give them a toiletries kit which includes from toothbrush and toothpaste to deodorant, soap and other personal items, so we really appreciate the donation of these items” stated Hewitt who is also the Crisis Centre Coordinator.

She was also presented with two laptops which will be used by the women at the shelter, a number of earbuds for the children to use with their tablets especially for online school, and several toiletry bags.

A supply of personal toiletry items was collected for delivery to the shelter, which included boxes of bath soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, mouthwash, cotton wool, personal bottles of alcohol and peroxide as well as towelette packages.

The laptops will be used by the women to upgrade their skills and retool, to better help them find a job. Others, she explained will use them for online self-development courses, as they look to entrepreneurship to open their own businesses, as they move towards self-sufficiency.

Michelle Whitelaw, Director Retail Banking Channels at CIBC FirstCaribbean explained: “We at CIBC FirstCaribbean look out for those vulnerable people in our society and we encourage women to break that cycle of domestic violence by taking control of their own lives and becoming independent, so that is why I am particularly pleased to know that these computers will be used to help the victims educate themselves and seek self-development opportunities, so that they can get out and stay out of harmful relationships.”

Hewitt explained that the BPW will shortly be setting up a course on financial health for women, mainly at the lower income level, to teach them how to budget and create a savings plan as well as other matters like pensions, mortgages and insurance among other topics. Whitelaw volunteered to work with the BPW in the setup and tutoring of the course.

Persons go to the shelter, having been referred by the police, the hospital or through members of the club who may be contacted by people from other women’s organisations.

A few dedicated members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club continue to undertake the herculean task of the running and the upkeep of their women’s shelter, a flagship project of the club since 1999. The confidentially located residence is a haven for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. (PR)