CFT chairman Raymond Gradus visits Food Bank Curaçao

What social Initiatives are in place for St. Maarten and its citizens? It’s an important question to ask for the beginning of this article. In Willemstad however, Raymond Gradus, who chairs all three Boards of financial supervision (Cft), recently visited the Food Bank Curaçao (Voedselbank). An initiative that have helped lots of people on that Island.

While there he received information from the foundation’s secretary Stacia Illidge about the set-up of this social initiative that has been providing aid to thousands of families in Curacao on a monthly basis since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. The Food Bank has distributed more than 40,000 food bags since April 2020. Gradus was also informed about the donors who make this form of assistance possible through their financial contributions. He received information as well about the involvement of all volunteers who work every week in various ways to complete all the work that needs to be done.

Raymond Gradus visit to Curacao is an informal one, where he is personally learning about local developments and had informal conversations with various authorities and people in the course of one week. It was originally intended for him to also visit other Caribbean countries in the Kingdom, but that turned out to be impossible. The regular visit of the full Board to these countries, which was planned for June, was also canceled. The chairman next trip is scheduled for October 2020.

Here on St. Maarten lots of people lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 and such social initiative programs are nowhere to be found. Most citizens who can very well do with such assistance, are left to fend for themselves and their families.

###