Archive for month: August, 2020

During a visit he made at the Siġġiewi Home, Dr Michael Falzon, Minister for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity, appealed for financial help for Dar tal-Providenza however small the amount might be. He said that the residents at the Home are amongst the most vulnerable in our society and they need support especially at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over the world including Malta. “I assure you,” the Minister said, “that the satisfaction you get when giving is by far a lot more greater than when receving.”
Dr Falzon praised and thanked those that give of their free time to help persons with disabillity. He also found time to meet representatives of the workers at the Home.
On behalf of his Ministry, Dr Falzon made a donation of €1,000. The Administrator of Dar tal-Providenza, Nadine Camilleri Cassano thanked the Minister for the donation and his support of solidarity that he has shown towards the Home.

A total of €5,730 was raised by Pierre Vella Petroni and Anne Marie Xuereb in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. Every year, for the last seven years, Pierre and Anne Marie organised a BBQ for Pierre’s friends and all the monies collected went to the Siġġiewi Home. This year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BBQ did not take place however donations were collected in aid of the Home.
The sum of €5,730 was presented by Pierre Vella Petroni and Anne Marie Xuereb to Nadine Camilleri Cassano, Administrator of Dar tal-Providenza, who on behalf of the Director, Fr Martin Micallef, who is indisposed, the residents and Administration of the Home thanked all those who made a donation.

Dar tal-Providenza has received more than €560,000 in funds under the Operational Assistance Scheme. This scheme was announced by the government last June as part of its plan for economic regeneration. This donation will help the Home to soften the impact of workers’ wages and also compensate for the severe dwindling in donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Sport and Voluntary Organisations, Clifton Grima said that the government is clearly showing how important voluntary organisations are for the country. He said that voluntary organisations, through various initiatives they uphold, contribute towards Maltese society.

The Parliamentary Secretary said: “Nowadays, we have a number of organisations that employ professionals in various fields, which is in tune with what the government is doing in the social sector. This is why their recurrent expenditure is considerable. It is through such financial assistance that we are helping out Dar tal-Providenza in its operations.”

The Parliamentary Secretary said that this scheme is the biggest direct investment ever made in the voluntary sector.

The Chairman of the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector, Noel Camilleri, said that through the work of the Council and with the appropriate intervention of the Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima, these funds were released to assist workers in the voluntary sector.

The Administrator of Dar tal-Providenza, Nadine Camilleri Cassano, explained that the pandemic meant that the Home had an increase in costs in order to safeguard the wellbeing and security of its residents as well as that of its employees. At the same time, the pandemic also led to a shrinking in donations, particularly those that come from fundraising activities organised by the Home and by other organisations. She said that nevertheless, the Home wanted to ensure the highest level of service so that its residents in the Siġġiewi Home as well as in homes in the community live in the dignlty they deserve.

On his part, Jesmond Saliba thanked Mr Mauro Pace Parascandalo, the Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima and all those involved who were instrumental that the financial help materialises at a time when once again, in the light of the risks and increased pandemic cases, planned fundraising activities had to be cancelled.

This fund is administered by the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector with the aim of ensuring the existence of these organisations and giving them a breath of life to continue their precious work, work that was affected negatively both in their operations as well as in their fundraising.