Living Water continues hamper donations for needy

On Friday the Living Water Community (LWC) gave out more than 400 hampers to local families left most vulnerable by the covid19 pandemic.

Rhonda Maingot, director of the LWC, said the distribution has decreased in quantity, but has not stopped.

Responding to WhatsApp messages to Newsday, Maingot said the hampers were give n out on Friday as they are every week at the LWC's headquarters on upper Frederick Street in Port of Spain.

The recipients, who were previously registered, arrived at dawn. People collected their hampers from 6.30am, amid carefully enforced sanitary protocols and distancing measures.

The LWC team worked with the support of the police to ensure the process was safe and moved rapidly .

In addition to food, they received Christmas cards and some gifts for their children.

Maingot explained, “When we started delivering hampers there were 800 per day, but since jobs reopened, those numbers dropped to around 400. But we have maintained our support.”

The LWC has distributed an estimated 15,000 hampers to the local population alone, since it started the programme on May 1, 2020.

Asked about aid to refugees in Trinidad and Tobago, Maingot said she did not know the exact figure, but many bags of food continue to be given to these needy families too.

Newsday understands LWC aid to refugees is also given out through community organisations.

All the gifts of hampers to both locals and refugees are made possible through companies and people who give them weekly.

It was not confirmed if this was the last hamper handover for this year.