PHILIPSBURG – The St. Maarten Lions Club has embarked on an ambitious program to help feed unfortunate citizens in the community in dire need of a daily hot meal. The program involves collecting foodstuff from various stores around the island and distributing them among the several soup kitchens that are operating throughout the island.
The initiative kicked off on February 9, with a visit to the soup kitchen served up daily by the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Cole Bay, where Lions Club President Eldert Louisa, and Past District Governor Lion Wally Havertong PMJF, delivered a number of food items and also had a chance to see the feeding program in action.
One of the donors of food items is Lion member and Immediate Past President Lion Sunil Katnani, whose company DIVICO pledged regular food donations to the soup kitchens of St. Maarten, “so that they can continue to prepare hot meals for those in the community who for one reason or another cannot get a good regular meal,” said Lion President Louisa.
He said although assistance has started with the soup kitchen in Cole Bay and more recently another facility in the Dutch Quarter area, the idea is to extend the service club’s efforts across a much wider field with assistance from other donors, and the untiring efforts of his Lions Club Board and Committee members.
“It is our intention to visit all the soup kitchens to encourage them to continue to do the good work they are doing for our citizens and also to go one step further by providing them with food items to add to what they are already serving,” continued the Lions Club President. “We have spoken to the people who do this important work, and it is clear that there is a serious need in our community that we as a Lions Club can help whenever possible. Our members were quite shocked to learn about the extent to which people are going hungry on St. Maarten,” concluded Louisa.
Persons and businesses willing to assist the St. Maarten Lions Club with this project can do so by emailing the President at: dailyboard@sxmlions.org.
Lions Club launches food donation program for soup kitchens
