Bishop Ellis Foundation for the Poor and Needy recently gave members of the island’s oldest charity Island Gems Charity Foundation a tour of its warehouse and information about its work on combating poverty on St. Maarten.
Island Gems had donated US $700 worth of non-perishable food items to Bishop Ellis Foundation to help keep its shelves stocked with basic necessities. The foundation submitted a funding request to Island Gems, motivating its need and outlining what items were needed.
The just over a decade-old Bishop Ellis Foundation caters to some 200 persons, who require food assistance on a monthly basis. Persons receiving food assistance are helped with food boxes, containing staples, such as rice, flour and sugar, of which the quantities depend on the number of persons in the household.
The assistance is rendered for three months, after which the applicant is removed from the list. Bishop Ellis Foundation’s representatives explained this is done to not let people “become reliant on handouts and understand the need to get their life back on track.”
Bishop Ellis Foundation has carried out its work for much of its existence with international aid. However, the aid came to an end over a year ago, after its donor said its supporters were questioning why “a rich country like St. Maarten required assistance.”
After struggling through, Bishop Ellis Foundation, a non-denominational group, is now a grant recipient from St. Maarten Development Foundation (SMDF). That funding should sustain the food programme for another year.
People, who are interested in learning more about this food programme, can call 542-2303.
Island Gems has assisted other similar “food banks” over the years on both sides of the island.
The all-women group applauds the work of Bishop Ellis Foundation, especially for its stance on not keeping people in a needy situation. The funds used to purchase the food, comes from Island Gems’s annual fundraising dinner. The dinner is the only fundraising activity the Gems host annually. This year’s costume gala dinner, themed “Caribbean Creole,” will be at Captain Oliver’s Restaurant in Oyster Pond on Saturday, March 28.
A line-up of St. Maarten’s best entertainers and talents will keep the evening lively and fun. Performers include The York Generations on steel pan, Lomeno “DJ Fun-Ten” Brison, Arias, and Master of Ceremonies Leroy “King Beau Beau” Brooks.
A very limited number tickets is available for the gala dinner. Tickets cost US $125 each and are available from Island Gems members.