One local organization has sought to bring some sort of Christmas cheer to a few unemployed individuals.
Red Cross Antigua in partnership with the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) gifted over 200 Jolly Beach resort worker, both former and present with an undisclosed sum of money.
The initiative is a pilot program launched by the organization dubbed Cash Transfer Program (CCP) or the Livelihoods Program.
“Our initial target was 300 persons but we had 247 registering in October. Some persons actually registered twice so when we finally accessed the figures the total number of distributions was 230,” said Acting Director General of the Red Cross Kemoy Dean.
He explained that there are still some outstanding distributions to be made as some persons were not able to collect during the November distribution period.
Dean further shared that intitative came about from a $130,000 livelihoods fund which is apart of a bigger program the body has regarding covid-19 response.
He revealed that it is the Red Cross’ intention to conduct a second edition of this program in the first quarter of next month. He however could not share at the time which group of people will be targeted this time around.
Dean also sought to thanked Michele Marshall ECAB’s Marketing and Communications Manager for her insturmental work in “waving some of the fees from the ECAB ATMs arund the islands to allow more access to the funds on the cards”.
