Food bank begins making deliveries
The Good Samaritan co-founders Rev Charles Boucher and Woody Foster with Alok Singh, Senior Sales Manager at Progressive Distributors
(CNS): Last week the Good Samaritan Food Bank began making its first food deliveries to Meals on Wheels. The food bank is using leftover perishable foods from local supermarkets and restaurants to create meals, which will be passed on to local charities and church organisations, feeding people in need in the community. The warehouse and kitchen on Sleepy Hollow Drive in the industrial area, where the food is being prepared, opened on 14 December, when Progressive Distributors and Foster’s Food Fair made the first deliveries.
The first of its kind in Cayman, the project took much longer than organisers had expected to get off the ground. However, Rev. Charles Boucher, who co-founded the charity with Woody Foster and Reginald “Choppy” Delapenha and is the director of operations, said, “A centralised food bank of this size will help us expand our outreach as we provide emergency food relief to those in need in throughout the island.”
He added that they were “deeply committed to providing nutrition education, and positive programming for youth as well”.
Hoping to address the growing food insecurity that many people face in the Cayman Islands, the food bank will also supply tinned and dry food at the Visitor’s Center.
“We have worked hard to build the first food bank in Grand Cayman, and are looking forward to the year ahead,” the charity stated in its latest newsletter. “Working together will not only greatly reduce the food waste that has such a great impact on our environment, but we will also be advocating for a brighter future for those who are less fortunate.”
As well as Meals on Wheels, the food bank will be working with Feed Our Future and the Needs Assessment Unit to help more than 600 families in need.
To find out how you can help visit The Good Samaritan Food Bank website.
Category: Community, Local News
The caymanian people once owned land and farmed the land, but now the people are in offices all day and too tired to even notice the mango tree on the drive home. Growth.
I remember when people were getting fired for taking food back out of the garbage behind the supermarket. Shortly after that the bins were hydraulic compactors so what goes in can’t come back out.
This is actually a really excellent bit of news. Less wastage and it helps people in need.
However, the scandal here is that there are 600 families in need. Not 600 people, but 600 families. Assume an average of 4 people per family, that’s 2,400 people in need of assistance for food. Those numbers are ridiculous/unbelievable/embarrassing for such a small local population. We need a formalised welfare system here, not some ad hoc needs assessment.
Not to discriminate against anyone, everyone deserves a good meal and no one should go starving. However, in this instance, the emphasis should be put on “Native Caymanian Families” in need. As we have been importing poverty since the 2003 UDP Status Grant Bonanza and the mass influx of low-income workers and their families during the post-Ivan rebuilding of Cayman, our resources are stretched and we need to make a choice.
The Lions Club has been doing this for years and serve without recognition. Respect!
Cant see ita fosters behind the big deal…no other caymanian will get these chances in darts new cayman
The scandal is also we keep importing illiteracy criminality and poverty mostly from one country and giving them status so they can then bring in more if it.
In my experience, whilst literacy is not a strong point within the entire region, it is ‘native’ Caymanian children who seem to struggle the most.
Dear God,
Please help the critics of this initiative to read more of their bibles and understand that Jesus and his disciples did not discriminate who they fed. Every time we have something positive to share among us it is tarnished with rude and negative comments. Hearts and thoughts are so bitter it is reflected in comments written and expressly implied. Even a dog need to be fed. On another note Caymanians and Status grant holders have bonded and fed each other. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Are we going into a new year with such hate and negativity. Even speaking about literacy when half of our natives can’t read or write and end up leading a life of criminality. Did status grants cause that too? Live and let live. Life is too short. Let us focus on helping to lift someone up rather than speak ill or evil about them. Happy New Year all.