The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association picked up yesterday where Nagico Insurances left off by handing over a check to Soualiga Inn owner Maurice Gumbs for the accommodation of Chantel Prince, whose state of homelessness ended earlier this year.
Nagico CEO Imrad McSood Amjad sponsored the accommodation for Chantel for the past seven months. The client of the Mental Health Foundation was homeless and lived on the streets. Since she found a home at the Soualiga Inn on the Pondfill life has greatly improved for Chantel, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Nagico.
But as all good things come to an end, so did the sponsorship. The Mental Health Foundation is working hard on creating an daycare clinic in Cay Hill, where there will also be eight apartments available for clients of the foundation. Chantel Prince will get an apartment there, but until the facility is ready – somewhere in March of next year – she needs a roof over her head elsewhere.
Myriam Haar (the spouse of the managing editor of the Today Newspaper) has worked with and for Chantel as a volunteer ever since she met her through her work as interpreter at the courthouse. She got in touch with SHTA-president Emil Lee on Wednesday and her call for help was answered on the spot. The SHTA will pick up the tab for the next three months. And in case the Mental Health clinic in Cay Hill is not ready by March, SHTA board member Eveline Henriquez (Firgos Paper) will pay for Chantel’s accommodation for another couple of months if necessary.
Yesterday afternoon the sponsors met at the Soualiga Inn. Chantel was not present to meet her new sponsor, because she was enjoying a Christmas dinner organized by the Mental Health Foundation. There was also a sad occasion to commemorate: the death of Patricia Brooks, who was also a client of the foundation, and who was shortlisted to get an apartment in the new facility.
Myriam Haar thanked the first sponsor for Chantel, Imrad McSood and handed him a gift basket and a copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain, a novel by Garth Stein about perseverance, love and never giving up. McSood also received a candle Chantel made for him at the daycare clinic.
Haar also thanked Emil Lee and Eveline Henriquez for taking over the sponsorship.
The SHTA-President said that his association is committed to the improvement of life for the people in St. Maarten. "Taking care of members of our society who are unable to do it on their own is a responsibility of the government and the business community. We need to improve the quality of life for everybody. Prevention is also cheaper than cure."
In a sense we are making a quick commitment here today, Lee said. "But when you see people like Myriam who commit time and effort to help someone like Chantel, they need to be supported. I consider this as a great investment. If the government were more transparent, it could also help and probably get more compliance from its citizens by doing so."