BUSINESS BYTE: Ten needy families receive Christmas hampers from Digicel

Ten needy families received Christmas hampers from Digicel with smiling faces.

The hampers were presented to persons in the communities of Newtown, Coulibistrie, Wesley, Woodfordhill and Morne Rachette.

In the spirit of sharing, Digicel, under it’s Christmas theme ‘60,000 reasons to smile this Christmas’ on Wednesday 19th December, 2012 was overjoyed to travel around the island to bring much needed smiles and joy to the lives of ten underprivileged families.

The needy families received food hampers from Team Digicel and shopping vouchers redeemable at Whitchurch IGA Supercentre in Roseau and Portsmouth. The hampers consisted of a variety of canned and dry foods and other necessities. The families who received the hampers were enthusiastic and very grateful to Digicel for reaching out to them and their families during such a special season.

The first stop on our journey of sharing was at the home of Kelicia Thomas in Newtown. Ms. Thomas is an unemployed 17 year old, single mother of a one year old baby. The team then proceeded to the community of Morne Rachette, the recipients being Gloria and Jerry Benjamin and Rolson Jno. Baptiste. After walking through the village of Morne Rachette the Digicel team discovered a lovely 96 year old, Julia Joseph who is bed ridden, blind and death with an amputated leg, who is well cared for by her daughter Gloria Joseph. Although unplanned, Gloria also received a hamper from us on her mother’s behalf. In Coulibistrie 29 year old Linton Paul who is blind and lives with his mother was also very happy to meet with us to receive his hamper. Another elderly lady in Coulibistrie who received a hamper from Digicel is 85 year old Macdalina Larocque who is recovering from a stroke.

The Digicel team then travelled to the north-east of the island where we got much humor from the long lived married couple who looked very much in love like the first day they got married. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Belle of Wesley, 80 and 95 year olds said, “We are just there waiting for our time. We love our fruit cake, sorrel and the little burning thing during Christmas’. Looking at them certainly sent a positive message to our young married couples; they kept smiling and showed so much care and joy for life. In the village another hamper was presented to disabled nine year old D’Kembe Coutios, a student of the Wesley Primary School who was accompanied by his grandmother Patricia Margloire. They were both overjoyed to receive his hamper. The next stop was Woodfordhill where a mother of two children who lives in a dilapidated house embraced the team on receiving her hamper and voucher. Lizzy Celestine of Woodfordhill was also a recipient of a Christmas hamper.

Digicel’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Nathalie Walsh commented “Christmas brings warm memories with our hearts filled with joy to care, love and share for others who are in need. Our footprints in the various communities touched the lives of many children and elderly persons who are so very in need of help. It was very sad to see the poor conditions that some children have to live in and so today I appeal to the public and other businesses to reach out to the many underprivileged persons among us. We thank God and our many customers for giving us the opportunity to enlighten the lives of the families who today have received these gifts.

May God continue to richly bless each and every one of you, Merry Christmas and a bright and prosperous New Year!”