Police and good Samaritan team up in hamper drive

As part of their hearts and minds community initiative, members of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) assisted in distributing food hampers for several families in Laventille over the weekend.

The initiative, which began last week, sought to provide food and other essential supplies to families in need at Beetham and Laventille.

Among the citizens who helped donate goods was law enforcement consultant Paul Nahous who assisted in buying and distributing the hampers alongside officers of the Fort Chacon police post on Saturday.

Nahous told Newsday he was happy to be part of the distribution process and praised the police for their social work in the community.

"With basic needs of families here being covered, I was able to get 12 hampers and kids packs for children, because even in all this we have to remember that children are still children and we have to mitigate mental trauma as much as we can in these times.

"We don't get or ask for any funding from government or big business. Most donations were one or two hampers, and it added up to this. The IATF is a welcome addition to work with and will have whatever support that I can divert to them. The officers of Fort Chacon work in the belly of the beast in relation to poverty in that area, them vetting and delivering to those there are a blessing."

Nahous said a total of four food hampers, four vegetable hampers and four kids packs were distributed on Saturday and planned to continue his support with the IATF and other organisations.

The IATF has been involved in several outreach programmes in east Port of Spain, Laventille and Beetham as part of their community policing initiative.