Acts of Kindness: Sailing the rough waters together

The last 9 days can only be described as a mind-blowing experience when one reflects on the strides made by the Acts of Kindness Initiative.

Within one day of our first media release being published, we were able to attract interest in the cause, which resulted in increased donations to facilitate 2 additional rounds of assistance to families. In fact, in Round 2, the team was able to distribute 10 food vouchers and 79 food hampers spread amongst the communities of Grand Roy, Woburn and Grand Anse. In Round 3, a total of 52 hampers were distributed with impact in the communities of Marli, Grand Anse, Grand Anse Valley, Tempe, Mt Rush, Gouyave, Mt Plasir, Hope, New Hampshire, Jean Anglais, Morne Jaloux, Beaton and Birchgrove. In Round 3, greater emphasis was made to target persons in dire need of assistance. The total number of food vouchers and food hampers distributed by the Acts of Kindness Initiative to date is 304. This is quite a feat for an initiative which began with a pledge of 20 food vouchers.

You may be wondering how we were able to grow from 20 to 304 families, as well as Her Majesty’s Prisons being impacted by this grassroots undertaking. We received and continue to receive tremendous support from donors including the sailing community who were eager to help alleviate the plight of families facing insufficient food. The cruisers resolutely demonstrated that the Covid-19 pandemic required an all hands on deck approach to help families navigate these rough economic waters. With leadership from their own members, they mobilised among themselves and were able to donate over $5,000 to the cause, with more support to be received shortly. The Acts of Kindness Team recognises the generous contribution of the sailing community and its affiliates, including Mango Projects Ltd, a marine surveying business and the Petit Calivigny Yacht Club. Their continued support keeps steering this initiative forward.

Our heartfelt gratitude is likewise extended to Hotspot, Michael Passee, the GUT Credit Union, Robin and Trevor Blake, Punj-Abi, Dwight Mc Phail, and the other valued donors whose contributions to date have totalled just over $18,000 in cash and in-kind.

We continue to be amazed by both the efficiency and support of the Hotspot staff. In addition, we are appreciative of the volunteers who assist with mobilising resources and who provide logistical support.

Persons aware of individuals and families in dire need who have not received any other food assistance, can feel free to inform us via email to [email protected]. We must emphasise that we cannot provide assistance to all persons making enquiries or to those on whose behalf enquires will be made. However, we will try to facilitate based on the availability of resources. Priority will be given to persons with disabilities, the elderly, and unemployed single parents. All requests for assistance will be vetted. We look forward to more donors coming on board to create an even greater impact in our local communities.

Acts of Kindness

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