The spirits of many local families may be lifted this holiday season to the tune of a $40,000 donation to the Salvation Army from Cidel Bank & Trust Inc.
In the wake of the growing emotional and economic fallout from the pandemic over the last two years, Cidel decided to make a greater impact, once again choosing the Salvation Army as one of several charities to partner with in expanding their drive to give back.
Indeed, this is not the first time that the firm has invested in giving back. Cidel has been allocating donations to a range of charities, including the Salvation Army, for over 20 years.
Many Cidel staff have contributed to several charitable efforts financially, as volunteers, and by recommending other worthy causes for consideration. Cidel’s ethos of corporate social responsibility has led the company to create The Children First Trust charity. This year, they felt the need to make a more significant contribution and expand their efforts to include more families in need.
The Salvation Army’s response to Cidel’s donation was: “It is overwhelming. Of course, it tells us people care and there is so much more we’ll be able to do. We’ll be able to reach many more people [and] more families, so it will definitely extend our outreach.”
Cidel’s partnership with the Salvation Army is based on the charity’s breadth of good work across the island. Many lives locally have been touched by the Salvation Army’s various initiatives, from providing warm meals during the holiday season to supplying clothing through their thrift shop, which also supports their other aid programs.
Cidel Barbados’ president, Ryle Weekes, cited that their partnership thus far with the Salvation Army has proven to be a very successful and personally rewarding one. When asked about the future of their charitable efforts, he said: “We’re hoping in the not too distant future to return to a more hands-on approach with the charities that we support, which is what we prefer. We prefer not just to provide funds but to also get involved.” (PR)
