Some of the Cayman Islands’ poorest families will not have to worry about whether they can afford to eat for the next few weeks, thanks to a generous donation by Aon Insurance Managers Limited to the Cayman-based charity Acts of Random Kindness.
Through Aon’s corporate citizenship programme, employees raised $500 in profit from the company snack shop and the company donated an additional $1,500. This donation went directly into the ARK Pantry Project, a programme that aims to provide food and basic household necessities for those in need.
In addition to the funding, Aon employees also held a food drive in July that collected a significant amount of food and household items, which also went toward restocking the ARK Pantry. Aon has committed to running similar drives twice a year.
“The pantry is a wonderful resource for families in crisis in Cayman,” said Tara Nielsen, one of the founders of the humanitarian organisation. “We have seen there is really hard evidence there is hunger in Cayman. We can offer support to women coming out of the crisis centre or families stuck in a cycle of poverty and unemployment.”
In the past, ARK would give families a bag of groceries to take home and use.
“We found it can be very degrading if you are always being given bags of foods you don’t eat, or nappies that are the wrong size and so on,” Ms Nielsen said. “So we decided to create a pantry where mothers can go and choose the daily items they need in a dignified manner. It’s really great to be able to take a family there. It’s not just food – there are clothes, toys and books as well.”
ARK also give families in need food vouchers so they may purchase meat and fresh produce at the supermarket.
A personal approach
Unlike many large humanitarian organisations, ARK is a small, personal charity that aims to provide real, hands-on help to individuals or families who have been identified to them.
ARK aims to give a hand up, rather than a hand out.
“We try not to be a crutch to these people, but we keep up with their progress. We try to help them find employment, housing and so on, so that we can assess when they are ready to cope on their own,” Ms Nielsen said.
“Often, people want to help but they are afraid, as they don’t know where their money is going with the larger organisations. ARK is very personal and you really know you are making a difference.”
Members of the community may contact ARK about friends, neighbours or family members who are in need. ARK will then carry out a house call where they will meet with, assess and work out how best to help these people.
At present, the organisation is working with the children of the missing Anna Evans, Ms Nielsen said.
“We are able to provide them with many of the things they need – not just physical things, but also counselling. The children are living with Anna’s sister, but she was stretched already with her own kids, and now she has four more to take care of.”
Fundraising
Although people tend to be generous around Christmas, hunger is not a seasonal condition, warns Ms Nielsen, and the organisation
always needs funding.
In addition to regular annual fundraising events, such as the sand castle competition on 8 October and the Moving Art for ARK sale of local artists’ works, ARK is also seeking to become involved with more local businesses through their corporate responsibility projects. These efforts help raise awareness and direct donations to those who need them most.
Related Videos
