Interhash TT lends helping hand to The Shelter

THE Shelter for Battered Women and Children received a donation of $188,856. 25, along with a box of 60 bags and 60 small hash jerseys from the Interhash Trinidad and Tobago Committee (IHTTC).

The Shelter chairman Colin Mitchell and vice chairman Sherron Harford received the cheque from Niki Borde of Plan It Productions, and Christine Lyon of the IHTTC.

The IHTTC, a press release said, hosted the Red Dress Charity Run, one of the popular events that form part of the World Interhash which was to be held locally in 2020. In 2019, the IHTTC chose The Shelter as the beneficiary of all proceeds from the charity run.

“We are profoundly grateful for this generous donation from the Interhash Committee. Our donors and volunteers continue to be our lifeline, their support over the years has made sure we help women and children affected gravely by domestic violence, many of whom come here with just the clothes on their backs.

"Unfortunately, during this time of the year, we often see an increase in reports of domestic violence, yet we’ve seen a drastic decrease in revenue. So we continue to appeal to the public to assist us with donations which can be as small as $10 through TEGO, as well as to suppliers to help donating or discounting goods and services,” said Mitchell, at a brief handing-over ceremony for the cheque.

Established in 1987, The Shelter is provides services and opportunities to its residents to break the cycle of violence. It is a non-profit organisation managed by a board consisting of volunteers, and receives a government subvention which is less than ten per cent of it average monthly expenses.

Fund-raising events and donations are therefore integral to its sustainability.

“Traditionally the Red Dress run, a hash event, has spread across the world as a charity run, raising money for charities wherever there are hashers. The committee, under the urging of Christine Lyon, a hasher and advocate for The Shelter, suggested that The Shelter would be the perfect recipient of the donations collected from registration of local and international hashers.

"We are happy to support The Shelter in any way we can and saw this as an opportunity to make a difference. We recognize that not only do women suffer from abuse, but very often there are children suffering silently in the background," said Plan It Productions director and GM of the Interhash Committee, Niki Borde.

In 2016, The Shelter launched a fund-raising drive to make essential renovations possible.

The Samantha Isaacs Learning Centre, (TSILC) named in memory of a victim of domestic violence, who was a staff member at Digicel (Trinidad), houses a multi-media library, art therapy and computer area.

The majority of the funds for the TSILC came from the Digicel Foundation and joint fund-raisers were held with the Australian High Commission (for the Caribbean), Republic Bank – through its Make A Difference Fund, Sagicor, architects Maureen Legge and Colvin Chen and corporate and private members of the public.

These funds made the complete renovation of the entire safe house possible.