Melville-Jack: Hampers, masks for Tobago needy

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

One hundred food hampers would be distributed to needy families within communities across the island in the coming week.

This is just one of the initiatives undertaken by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour, according to Secretary Marslyn Melville-Jack.

Melville-Jack, speaking during a virtual press conference on Friday, said the division is mindful of its mission – building strong families, sustainable communities and a healthy, productive workforce.

According to Melville-Jack, these hampers would only be distributed to the needy.

“We know that at this time where all sorts of efforts are being made to help people, some people are in want, but we want to emphasise that these hampers would be given to families in need. The distribution of hampers have always been politicised but I want to take this opportunity to say that selections for hampers would be based on real information,"

She said in every community the division has liaison officers as well as community development assistants.

“In addition, we intend to seek the assistance and advise from village councils, so that these hampers would be given to people in the communities that are really in need. The distribution would start as early as the end of next week.”

In addition, the division hopes to produce 1,000 cotton face masks for free distribution to needy families in communities.

“And again, we would use the same method of selection. Distribution of hampers and face masks would be done in keeping with covid19 guidelines; persons will be contacted by phone and given stipulated times when they can collect their hampers or masks at the division’s main office. Obviously, the times will be staggered so that we would have no crowds at the division at any one time.”

The Secretary also pledged to provide care packages for the island’s centenarians over the next three months.

“Our most vulnerable members of the communities are our centenarians. We would like to say that for the next three months, we would be taking care of our centenarians. At this time, there are 12 centenarians on the island of Tobago, the oldest being 103 from the community of Bethel,” she said.