PHILIPSBURG--Minister Lee congratulated the Red Cross on the parallel launch of its food-voucher programme recently. He said in a statement on Tuesday that Government is thankful for the organisation’s continued assistance.
“We are thankful for their coordinated effort to support and expand on Government’s Basic Necessities Voucher Programme. These two programmes allow persons who have experienced a serious financial setback as a consequence of the impact of the recent hurricanes to receive a voucher valued at NAf. 150 that can be redeemed at participating supermarkets – Le Grande Marché , Prime Distributors, Sang’s Supermarket and Sunny Foods,” stated Lee.
Vouchers can be used to purchase basic necessities, including food, water, hygiene and sanitation products, but not tobacco and alcohol products, at participating retailers. A family of one or two persons can apply for one voucher and larger families can receive two. Eligible families will receive voucher(s) every two weeks depending on whether their situation has changed.
Those who wish to apply for the Government programme are advised to report to the Social Services Department in the new Government Building on Pond Island Monday to Friday, 8:30am and 12:00pm.
While the Government programme is based on an application and interview process, the Red Cross programme is based more on community assessments by the Red Cross staff in collaboration with community councils/leaders. The VSA Ministry is pleased with this, because it complements Government’s approach and allows for better penetration into the different neighbourhoods.
Other donors such as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) have also expressed their willingness to cooperate in the programme. Once the agreement has been finalised, this will allow an additional $164,000 to be spent on the programme.
“The cooperation and collaboration with international and local agencies has been extremely helpful and we are grateful for their generosity. We believe that developing transparent and auditable programmes is essential to attracting other donors who wish to participate and contribute to St. Maarten’s recovery efforts,” stated Minister Lee.
