More Bajans seeking supplies from Welfare Department

The Welfare Department has reported a huge increase in requests for food supplies as hundreds of jobless Barbadians remain on the breadline in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief Welfare Officer Debra Norville said that last month, the department distributed food supplies to 3,326 people at a cost of approximately $870,000.

During the official handing over of $50,000 in food vouchers from Massy Foundation (Barbados) Inc to the department at the Warrens Office Complex, Norville linked an increase in applications for welfare services of cash grants, food, rent and utility payments to the pandemic.

The vouchers will not only help to provide individual food security to 166 people but will also boost humanitarian efforts to citizens and non-citizens with the goal of staving off hunger, improving health and the overall quality of life, she said.

“Among the vulnerable groups to be targeted will be large families with small children, the disabled, the elderly and those persons with HIV,” said Norville. “These vouchers will carry a maximum of $300 redeemable at Massy Stores supermarkets and it is estimated that approximately 166 individuals will benefit from this assistance.”

The vouchers will be Massy Stores gift certificates in denominations of $25, $50 and $100 for the Welfare Department to distribute to individuals and families in need, especially those most affected by the pandemic.

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde extended gratitude to Massy Foundation for the donation which she said is not only appreciated by the ministry and Welfare Department but by the Government.

Forde said the Mottley administration has been working assiduously to establish stronger links and form partnerships with civil society organizations and the private sector to address the many needs of the vulnerable population.

She said: “I can tell you, the numbers are large. I get 700-odd WhatsApp messages per day, mostly from strangers. We need more help now more than ever before in our history beyond those years when we would have had other epidemics like smallpox and so on, that would have devastated our societies.”

The minister indicated that while the issue of vulnerability has always been present, there has been a greater awareness of its prevalence over the last 18 months due to the impact of the pandemic and the ash fall associated with the La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent.

Forde said these situations were further exacerbated by the unfortunate weather incident earlier this month, which disrupted the lives of families and individuals, especially the most vulnerable.

The Ministry of People Empowerment has reached out to many organizations to provide assistance to the most vulnerable, said Forde who disclosed that Government has reviewed its Adopt-A-Family programme managed by the Household Mitigation Unit. The minister said the review will include a reinjection of additional funds.

Director of Massy Foundation (Barbados) Lennox Prescod said as the year turned the directors of the foundation recognized the opportunity and responsibility to provide the needed assistance to fellow Barbadians who continue to be affected by the loss of income and diminished ability to support themselves and their families.

Prescod said the directors reached out to the Welfare Department to investigate whether the foundation could offer support to its clients.

He said: “Once it was confirmed that the department had in fact seen an influx of new applications for welfare services, our Advisory Committee unanimously recommended making a contribution. The board has been very impressed with the professionalism of the Welfare Department and we are confident that this donation will be well allocated to those needy persons who meet the criteria for assistance.”

(AH)