Over the weekend, a private organisation came forward to address the financial distress faced by the ten employees of the Grotto Home for the Homeless.
This act of generosity saw the payment of three out of the four months’ worth of salaries owed. Several Grotto Home staff members, who had been deeply concerned about the prolonged delay in their salary payments, confirmed this development to Dominica News Online (DNO). They expressed their optimism that the remaining month of outstanding salary would be settled promptly, and they hoped for a more consistent payment schedule in the future.
“We have bills we have to pay as well and when the end of the month comes, we can’t tell the companies that we owe, that we haven’t gotten paid,” one member of staff told DNO’s reporter.
Another staff member expressed gratitude to the company- which has asked to remain anonymous- for the support, but indicated that if the issue of delayed payments persists, she and many others are considering leaving the institution.
Ainsworth Irish, who is serving as the President of the Board of Directors for the Grotto Home, corroborated this information with DNO and expressed his contentment at seeing the staff finally receive some form of payment after enduring months of uncertainty. Irish pointed out that the ongoing and arduous challenge of gathering the approximately $17,000 required to cover the payroll for the home’s ten employees in recent years, was due to the institution being “cash strapped.”
Irish stressed that an annual government subsidy amounting to $129,000, comprising $65,000 budget allocation and an additional $5,000 per month, fell significantly short of the $280,000 needed to provide adequate care for residents and fair compensation for the staff. Given these financial constraints, Irish reiterated his hope that the government would eventually take full responsibility for the institution, ensuring consistent subsidies and employing individuals from the National Employment Programme (NEP) to aid in the home’s operations. Another important aspiration he shared was the need for family members to fulfill their commitments by paying the required monthly fees for the care of their loved ones at the Grotto Home.
Meantime, the Grotto Home president revealed that during the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) planned for this Saturday, where a new executive will be elected, he plans to officially “throw in the towel.”
“Thirty-three years of service to the Grotto Home is enough,” Irish stated.
He acknowledged that his three decades of unpaid service at the Grotto Home came with its share of challenges, and attributed his dedication to the social work as a result out of his love for the cause.
Irish proudly noted that one of the major accomplishments during his tenure was the construction of a permanent location for the Grotto Home in Bellevue Rawle, made possible with the support of a non-profit organisation and his fellow board members. This facility now serves as the home for all the Grotto Home residents.
This NGO is not viable . The care of the most vulnerable should be the responsibility of the State
No money for things like that!
Wrong! The vulnerability is created when family members refuse to look after their family. Family members and the wider community (NGOs, private sector, churches) MUST, out of a moral obligation, look after the vulnerable. The state must HELP, but no state must be expected to take over the responsibility of family members and the community. Where the state has tried to do so (USSR) it has failed.
I’m in complete agreement with your statement. Why do we have such marginal concern for the lives of our pioneers (founders) who have toiled so hard to build this country?
Our children and the elderly are the two most vulnerable groups in society. It is incumbent on the government to put policies in place to safeguard the wellbeing and welfare of these people.
We have seen and heard about many cases of child sexual molestation of our children and the physical, financial abuse, neglect and abandonment of the golden agers. Any government that fails to protect and provide adequately for these people should be roundly condemned and booted out of office.
Welcome to the great reset
How is this possible? I do not understand this? The Prime Minister talks so much about his government caring for Dominicans but then we read and see situations like this which does not add up or make sense to me. Seriously my Dominican people, no matter what political party you support, we all know that during election campaigns and to keep their supporters happy the Prime Minister and Labour party gives away a lot of free money, cool-out, among other gifts. So why are they unable to finance simple little much needed real social programmes like the Grotto Home?
Skerrit seems to be only good at managing Dominica money from his pocket and when real institutions are involved he is afraid of accountability and transparency!
The answer is very simple, this government and in particular its leader don’t care one little bit about the average people of this country. He doesn’t even care about our island. It’s all there for him to squeeze the last Dollar out, chiefly for his own benefit. Why do I have to repeat this over and over. All you put on your thinking caps for once in your live.
You did not read the article, did you? Did you see the part where the world is told that the Government, a.k.a taxpayers, pays a subvention to the Grotto? Resist the orgasmic urge to shoot from the you-know-what before informing yourself.
It’s a hell-of-a-thing when one person tries to be all high and mighty. When one person can be brazen enough to say “when you pray to God and he does not answer, come to me”
The sad thing is that these politicians have their cups overflowing. As the same time the cup of the government has all but disappeared and the results are now clear for all to see.
But aye, don’t tell that to those party hacks and beneficiaries. Their pockets are full and so everyone else can go to hell.
if the home has trouble paying salaries today, what makes them think it will be better tomorrow, unless the government increases the subvention.