A foundation that seeks to enhance the quality of life for all citizens and foster growth and development while improving the social fabric of life in Dominica, has officially been launched.
The Julie Roberts Foundation which was unveiled today, June 1, 2022, will undertake mentoring programs to teach and build young men, care for the underprivileged, and provide a comprehensive safety net of social services for the least-advantaged citizens.
In an exclusive interview with Dominica News Online (DNO), the foundation’s founder, Julie Roberts, said her commitment and dedication to the vision outlined is rooted in her desire for a society where all can thrive.
She said the three-arm foundation consists of an outreach programme, Healed, and a Young Gentlemen club.
“They all have their unique stories on how and why they started and because they all focus and address social issues I decided to put them all together under the umbrella of the Julie Roberts Foundation,” Roberts disclosed.
She said the outreach programme was conceptualized in 2016 following Christmas which she spent alone in Dominica.
“This was the first time I was spending Christmas alone and I thought of the many other people who were in the same situation as me so I decided then to have an annual event at Christmas time for those who spent this special time of the year alone,” Roberts stated.
Her kind deeds not restricted only to that time of the year, but through the initiative, Roberts began a feeding program on Sundays and other holidays, donated clothes and provided healthcare assistance in the form of blood sugar and pressure checks as well as assisting the unemployed in finding gainful employment.
“Sometimes we feed people, but we don’t think of their life after we feed them,” she noted.
The second pillar of the Julie Roberts Foundation, Healed, will focus on rape and molestation, colorism, body shaming, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and any other illness which may affect women directly.
The ‘Healed’ arm of the foundation was launched when Roberts attempted to participate in the Carnival Queen pageant in her country of birth, Antigua. However, although she did not take part in the show, Roberts believed that there was still need for advocacy in relation to her proposed platform which was dear to her heart as she was a victim of molestation.
“Having experienced this myself on multiple occasions, I realized that even if you think you are doing better and the perpetrator may have been arrested or dealt with, you still cannot deal with people or open up to others as you would like to because of your fears. So through Healed, we want to nurture, support and get help for others no matter what stage in the process they are in,” Roberts stated.
The foundation will also provide confidential counseling via telephone to victims, which is made possible through a partnership between the Julie Roberts Foundation and partners in Canada and the region.
The final arm of the Julie Roberts Foundation, the Young Gentlemen Club, seeks to provide support and assistance for young men in society.
In 2020, the foundation awarded a one year scholarship to two young males for their first year at High School and also engaged other professional men to provide mentorship to the students.
Headed by Danny Joseph as President, this leg of the foundation, according to Roberts, will engage in a number of activities geared at empowering young men on their journey to manhood.
She pointed out that while the foundation was birthed in Dominica, their work is not only limited to this country as plans are in place to extend their services across the region.
“Imagine being a society where women are not body shamed or we are actually looked upon and sympathized [with] for the illnesses that we face, or our young men are given avenues to become great leaders, or our addicts and homeless people can be served with empathy so that they can be rehabilitated and be back in society,” she mused. “So even if each arm seems to be so diverse and far apart from the other, at the end of the day, it’s all about having a better Dominica,”
Roberts appealed to the general public to support and aid the foundation in any way possible including collaborative work.
“There are so many issues we face in Dominica and we are looking for solutions, so to anyone, if you believe that you can help in any way we would be happy for your support,” she stated.
I don’t mind at all. In fact, I welcome it. My shoulders are broad enough to withstand your ad hominem puerile attacks. I guess you have a fragile ego and got it fractured by a genuine comment.
My advice to you is this – GROW UP! By the way, I don’t give myself any thumbs-up. DNO should be able to verify this.
From now on, I’ll occupy real estate in your head rent free. I will sublease and make some extra money.
I hope you keep your promise and expose the idiot inside you. Try as much as you wanrt you CANNOT injure me. Everything you throw at me would be like water running off a duck’s back. ……!
This is directed at Ooops. Your hyper-sensitive , eggshell ego got hurt so you’re squealing like a pig that got hit.
Your over inflated ego needs to be deflated. You are nothing more than a pompous, super-sensitive, certified ……
DNO don’t you think that it would help to publish a public profile of Julie Roberts, who is she, her background? The Julie Roberts Foundation but who is Julie Roberts? It is like hearing of the Bill Clinton Foundation or the Bill Gates Foundation, we know who these people are and why they can do what they do. I think it would help the public to have some background information and understanding of Julie Roberts, education, areas of expertise, on this public personality. Don’t you think? Thank you.
Aye! Do like me! Go online and find out. All you want everything done for all you. Send a donation to DNO, nur. Here you go compare de lady to Bill Clinton and Bill gates😂😂😂 So do you know Bill Clinton and Bill Gates? Boy I love coming to DNO, ehh.
I’m sorry… but no. What rubbish photo is this?
Y’all couldn’t do a better photo than this? Why is this girl standing up like this? And the founder has half her chest outside? Oh no thank you. We need to do better than that. Appreciate the effort but be professional all the way. That’s just getto to the max. That photo is a huge turn-off for me, and I’m sure it is the same for many others.
I agree that the photo displayed sends the wrong message but the cause trips the misjudgment.
You have all right to be upset, but, don’t just dismiss them. We learn from ours errors. Remember to err is human. The only perfect person is a fool.
This is such a productive and very much needed program
women are being body shamed and its taking a tole on their mental health
What do you mean? If a man is slim you all say he meg. Thats not shaming? But calling a fat woman fat or obese is body shaming? double standards is not equality. women want benefits not equality really.
“will undertake mentoring programs to teach and build young men,”
Young men need mentoring from successful level headed MEN. They need to incorporate some male figures in their team. Women are emotional, men are rational beings. Not saying men cant learn from women, but more and more we need our men to step up to teach men how to be men.
Non the less, good initiative. much needed
Thank you! Men are busy bashing women instead of building each other
Lol I’m glad you said it because I was thinking exactly the same thing, only my comment wouldn’t have been so polite
A great initiative this young woman has taken. I can’t help but notice that there are no young men present in the lineup. If you wish to appeal to young men you should have some on staff. In Dominica itès very difficult for us young men to open up to a woman, we have been raised to guard ourselves against it.
Thank you. A whole arm of the foundation is geared towards men. The only other name (Danny Joseph) mentioned in the article is a young man who is the president.
Healed, the arm geared towards tackling the social issues women face was being highlighted on the night of the launch.
WOW! 😳 That ting showing, boy….
It is sick people like you that dumb down Dominica. Is your comment helpful in anyway? Absolutely NOT!
Check yourself! Your libido is out of control.
I wish to commend Ms. Julie Roberts for taking this important initiative to be an activist and advocate for the positive transformation of the lives of the indigent, rejected, downtrodden folks in the society rather than hankering for political office.
It is my sincerest desire that this voluntary organization will flourish and all their aims, goals and objectives will be achieved. This is welcoming. Dominica needs much more of this sort of social activism. God’s blessings on you and all the other volunteers.
@ibo France. You are losing sleep just to waste your time on DNO because you are so self absorbed in your ego, that you falsely believe that only you make sense on this medium. You objected to what I said and you got two thumbs up, which you gave one to yourself. But let’s look at, and analyze both comments; yours and mine – Lets look at the words in each comment and see which one of these comments are more obscene. You used the words, “Libido, Dumb, Sick, etc.” you personally attract me by commenting on my “libido.” Now, what’s more sick than that? On the other hand, all I said in my comment was, “Wow! That ting showing, boy.” So it was you who unchained your filthy mind and caused it to wonder deep down in the gutter. My comment has no derogatory words. Yours has. So yes, smart boy, I’m now going to be on your tail to take apart all of your pseudo intellectual nonsense you keep throwing on DNO. You object to the way in which DNO publishes their materials, like you know best.