Mission Statement
To provide a stable, physical and spiritual environment for the best care of the poor, destitute, and elderly indigent, by optimizing the resources of the state and voluntary sectors.
Poor Relief Department
The Poor Relief Department is the social services office of the local government and is funded by a grant from central government. Poor Relief is assistance granted to residents of a parish after proving they are wholly destitute and unable to work or earn their means of subsistence, due to their mental or physical condition. Temporary relief is also afforded to people who are made destitute as a result of fire, flood, hurricane or drought via the disaster relief department. Many services are also offered to persons on a temporary basis; please see below for more information. The primary objectives of the programme are as follows:
- To provide residential facilities to house persons targeted by the programme (infirmary);
- To provide proper nutrition, medical care and transportation, when necessary, to program beneficiaries;
- To offer financial and in-kind assistance through the distribution of weekly doles and food stamps;
- To secure the dignity and self-respect of programme beneficiaries, whenever and wherever possible.The Poor Relief Programme has been divided into two areas of concentration: Outdoor Poor and Indoor Poor. The Outdoor Poor programme assists persons who may be on the street or who may have a residence but are finding it quite difficult to make ends meet.
This programme includes City Spirit, an outreach center located at 2 Lawrence Lane (corner of Church and Orange Street) in the downtown core. The Indoor Poor Programme is operated from within the Parish Infirmary. It caters primarily to the elderly; however, the beneficiaries are classified as those people who are in need of temporary shelter and nutrition.
Donations are critical to the functioning of this department. We welcome all monetary and in-kind donations, particularly clothing, non-perishable food and hygiene items such as soap. Please contact us at 952-5500-2 to discuss how you or your organization can contribute to ease the suffering of our poor and dispossessed.
Referrals
The Poor Relief Office is in contact with other governmental and non-governmental agencies. Persons are often referred to these agencies after investigations and evaluation are carried out. We also receive clients referred from other agencies.