PRESS RELEASE (Matt Maura) – Officials at the Fox Hill Urban Renewal Centre recently partnered with a member of the local community to deliver 21 pairs of Clarks shoes to children in the area – just in time for their return to face-to-face classroom sessions.
A regular donor to the Fox
Hill Urban Renewal Centre, Mrs. Antonia R., said the decision to assist other
parents and children who may be in need of school shoes for their return to
face-to-face classroom instruction, in addition to those children who simply
needed the shoes, came while she was purchasing school supplies for her
8-year-old daughter. The shoes came in various designs, colours and sizes.
“I thought about those
parents who would have children returning to the classrooms for the first time
in a long time and would not be able to afford to purchase shoes for their
children because they are unemployed at this time. Though small, I felt that
the donation could have a positive impact on a child/children in need of a pair
of shoes at this time.”
The family’s willingness to
make a difference was also highlighted in December 2020, when 8-year-old Alyssa
decided to forego receiving Christmas gifts and instead encouraged family
members to purchase gifts for a number of other youngsters whose parents were
unemployed.
“She felt sad knowing that
there were children who would not be able to receive Christmas gifts this year
because their parents may not have had the money to purchase gifts because they
were unemployed,” Antonia R. said. “She had already prepared a list of gifts
she wanted for Christmas, but decided to forego receiving those gifts and
instead purchase gifts for some of those children who otherwise may not have
received Christmas gifts.
“This was a decision that she
made on her own. She then approached me and other family members to inform us
of her plans and to seek our assistance in making them a reality. It made me
very happy, very proud, to know that she has a giving nature at such a young
age and that she is willing to make sacrifices of her own in order to assist
others in their time of need.”
Fox Hill Urban Renewal Centre
Manager, Mrs. Sonia Kemp, applauded the donation, adding that the gesture left
the children and their families beaming from ear-to-ear.
“The children and their
parents were so excited to receive those shoes and everyone left with smiles on
their faces,” Mrs. Kemp said. “Our partners have been a God-send. Partnerships are always very helpful given
the type of service we extend in providing social assistance to members of the communities
that we serve. The government plays a major role in the delivery of social
assistance through the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development and
its various Departments, Divisions and Units, but as the Minister (Minister of
Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell) constantly
says, no government can do it alone and so these partnerships are vital.
“They help us to build
stronger Centres, stronger teams, stronger families and stronger communities as
we work hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder to meet and address many of the
social needs of our clientele, our families and our communities across The
Bahamas,” Mrs. Kemp added.
By Matt Maura (BIS)
Header: Mrs. Sonia Kemp, Centre Manager, Fox Hill Urban Renewal Centre (left), outfits a toddler with one of the 21 pairs of Clarks that were recently donated by Mrs. Antonia R. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
Insert: Clarks shoes in various sizes, colours and designs comprised the donation made by Mrs. Antonia R. to the Fox Hill Urban Renewal Centre for distribution to the Fox Hill Community. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)