Greenvale residents grateful for football help

MEMBERS of the Football For A Cause committee, who hosted a charity football match for flood victims at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on October 26, visited residents of Greenvale, La Horquetta and Oropune, Piarco on Saturday to present groceries and other household items to some families still recovering from the October 19 floods.

National men's football team coach Dennis Lawrence, who was the driving force behind the Football for a Cause match, was joined by members as they paid another round of visits to the affected families. Among the items they presented were refrigerators, stoves and beds.

One resident, wheelchair-bound grandmother Annette Gittens, expressed her joy upon the arrival of the group on Saturday.

“Right now I am so elated," said Gittens. "I am humbled and I thank you all so much because I got more than I expected. I know God is awesome and I know that he always gives; so when I got the call from Dennis I said, ‘What?’ and then I understood about Football for a Cause.

"Dennis and friends, you all have made my day and I thank you so much.”

Reflecting on the flooding, Gittens said, “That was a journey. At first I thought, 'What I am going to do? Where I am going to get the things from?'

"We did get a $20,000 grant from the Government, and while it may not be enough I still thanked God for it. But we needed a lot of stuff still. And then when (the committee) called, I said, ‘Lord, I got all that I am praying for.’ I didn’t have a fridge, I didn’t have a stove and now I do. I didn’t have that much hope, but I have faith in God.”

Gittens’ granddaughter Shayanne has been at her side and was also grateful for the support.

She remembered, “I’d never been through anything like that, so it was really tiring and difficult.

"That was the most frightening night of my life. We didn’t know what our next step would be. There were a lot of sleepless nights and days because we were not sure what tomorrow would bring. But now we are coming along and we will hopefully get there.”

Gittens is looking forward to a brighter holiday than she would have anticipated a week ago.

Another resident visited on Saturday was Dwight Roach, who is yet to move back into his home.

Roach said, “Christmas is looking much better.

"I love to cook even though I am on a wheelchair. Now I can bake my sweetbread and I can drink cold juice. I am not ashamed to say I was drinking hot juice before.

"The only thing I told them I really needed at first was an iron, because I need to iron my clothes to look presentable.

"Thank you so much to Football for a Cause, Dennis and friends like Richard (Piper) and Nadine (Khan), you all have really come forward and done a great deal for us.”

With cash collected from the event, appliances were bought and distributed to homes in the affected areas including Greenvale, Congo, Sangre Grande, Ascot, Kelly Village, Couva, Las Lomas, Warrenville, Oropune, El Socorro and Tobago.

The Football For a Cause committee members offered their gratitude to those who assisted in their venture – Carib, NLCB, Healthnet Caribbean, Defence Force Masters, SM Jaleel, Angostura, Guardian Media Ltd, 96.1 and Star 94.7 FM (TTRN), I95.5FM and Red 96.7, 107.1FM, WACK 90.1,Boom Champions 94.1, Flow Trinidad, Caribbean Lifestyle Communications, TTFA, Sports and Games, Lounge 63, TT Olympic Committee, Sportt, Joma and Domino’s as well as the protective services (Defence Force, police and fire), media, players, support staff and volunteers.