Brand new clothing for flood victims

Members of 15 families in the Dark View community who were affected by flash floods last December were recipients of brand new pieces of clothing, last Sunday.{{more}}

Though a collaboration with the Mustique Charitable Trust, which was facilitated by the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross Society was able to begin distribution of new clothing to affected persons.

During a handover ceremony on April 11, the administrator of the Mustique Charitable Trust, Lavinia Gunn, revealed that the clothing was coming from companies Ballyclare and Simon Jersey in the United Kingdom.

“Through a very generous home owner in Mustique, we have been donated some 70,000 brand new garments from the United Kingdom, including 700 pairs of trousers, because we’ve been working on this project both with NEMO and with Red Cross,” Gunn said. “Red Cross informed us that they were particularly short of garments for the men in the affected communities.”

The administrator noted that the Trust was pleased to be able support the rehabilitation efforts.

Trustee Basil Charles officially handed over the clothing to president of the SVG Red Cross Society, Bernard Morgan.

In brief remarks, Charles expressed hope that the garments will be distributed to people in need.

The trustee was assured that persons in need would benefit from the donation when Morgan declared that “every piece of garment that is delivered to us for distribution will reach the people whom these items are intended to reach. You can depend on us.”

Director of NEMO Howie Prince expressed sincere gratitude to the Mustique Charitable Trust for its donation, citing that his job is made easier when persons are able to come forward and give to a worthy cause.

He added that the persons that will benefit from the donation will be receiving quality clothing.

“The persons who will receive these clothing will be stepping out in style. It certainly sends the powerful signal that we like to treat our people with pride and to offer them the dignity; just because you have been flooded out and your things are washed away, doesn’t mean that you’re any less of a dignified person than you were before the flood,” Prince said.

On Tuesday, SEARCHLIGHT was informed by an SVG Red Cross Society official that the distribution of clothing is expected to continue on Saturday in the North Leeward area. (BK)