The Salvation Army’s Division Youth and Candidate Secretary, Captain Monesha Broome is urging parents to look for creative ways to help their children cope with the school/life challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Captain Broome who was addressing the presentation ceremony for the Salvation Army’s Back-To-School Programme recently, noted that this year was one of changes but while it was important to embrace the school system, challenges would arise and parents would have to help their children. This year, 100 families will benefit under the annual programme, which chairperson of the Army’s Advisory Board Mr. Paul Bernstein said was made possible with the help of corporate sponsors, such as CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank and Abeds. Both organisations were represented at the function.

Bernstein noted that given the COVID 19 pandemic, 2020 was a tough economic year not only for parents but for Corporate Barbados and he said the Salvation Army appreciated the sponsors’ contributions particularly at this time. He said he could assure the sponsors that the Salvation Army had done its homework to ensure that the recipients were those who were vulnerable and in need.

CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Business Development Manager – International Corporate Banking and Wealth Management, Raymond Ward said the bank “was honoured to be part of the programme to assist, particularly children (who were) especially vulnerable with parents losing jobs and finding it much more difficult to provide the necessary items for school.”

This year, parents and children did not attend the function given the COVID-19 protocols.

The Army has already donated tablets to some children, so that they can participate in online classes and Divisional Board Manager and Public Relations Officer, Sherma Evelyn said she was appealing to the public to donate used clothes which would be sold to finance other programmes of assistance.

This year marks the third year that the bank has supported the Salvation Army’s ‘Back to School Drive’ however, the FirstCaribbean ComTrust Foundation, the charitable arm of the bank, has also supported the Army’s Annual Christmas Kettle Appeal for the last four years.