TV Marathon in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza

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On Sunday 4th July 2021, Id-Dar tal-Providenza is organising a fund-raising marathon which will be broadcast on the main television stations between noon and midnight. This marathon is taking place instead of the annual Volleyball Marathon which is being cancelled once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funds raised during this marathon will be going towards a refurbishing project for four flats in Villa Papa Giovanni so that every resident will have a more dignified environment with private rooms and all the amenities.

Anyone wishing to donate on the day of the marathon or the days leading to it is welcome to call on the numbers listed below, make a donation on line or make a personal donation at Dar tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi. On the day of the marathon there will be a drive-thru in the car park of the Home for those wanting to make their donation.

On the website www.sabihlitagħti.com one can find all the relative details pertaining to donations.

5160 2011 for a donation of €10

5170 2012 for a donation of €15

5180 2013 for a donation of €25

5190 2070 for a donation of €50

SMS on 5061 8944 for a donation of €7

2146 2686 for anyone wanting to make a pledge.

BOV Mobile Pay – 7932 4834

Benefactors of the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at December 13th Road in Marsa make donation to Dar tal-Providenza

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Mr Joseph Vella, the curator of the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto at December 13th Road in Marsa helped by his son Mario and other volunteers, presented a donation of €1,140 to Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Dar tal-Providenza. The presentation took place at the end of a Eucharistic Celebration at the Holy Trinity parish church in Marsa.

This sum was raised through offerings made at the grotto during the year by devotees of Our Lady of Lourdes.

This is an annual event that was started in 1981 when Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, founder of the Siġġiewi Home, celebrated the first Mass at the grotto in a year that was dedicated to persons with disability. Because of the current measures introduced by the Health Authorities in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mass had to be celebrated at the Marsa parish church instead of at the grotto itself as in the past.

Laferla donation to Id-Dar tal-Providenza

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Laferla presented Id-Dar tal-Providenza with a charitable donation of €1,200 as part of the firm’s initiative to give to those who need it the most. The initiative forms part of Laferla’s monthly ‘Dress Down Days’, where team members collect funds that are then increased by the Directors and donated to a charitable organisation of the staff’s choice.

With the donation, the team at Laferla hope to help Id-Dar tal-Providenza with the hard and reputable work that they are doing. “We are committed to continuing to assist and give back to the community whenever and wherever we can,” stated Keith Laferla, Executive Director at Laferla.

We are proud of our team who take this initiative to heart, showing us that the company’s socially responsible culture is truly a Laferla team trait. We have had to adapt our ‘Dress Down Days’ due to COVID-19 as they also formed part of our team-building strategy, yet the core spirit of the initiative which is to collect donations has of course persisted.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza is a foundation that offers residential services to individuals with disabilities. Hosting over 100 individuals of all ages, the organisation offers respite services, aqua therapy services, activities, and physiotherapy services to patients, just to name a few. Individuals and companies may donate to this cause through their website at www.sabihlitaghti.com.

Starting 2021 on a positive note, Laferla commits once again to enhancing their CSR initiatives and encouraged others to do the same.

Dar tal-Providenza’s Valletta office open once again

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The Valletta office, located in St. Paul Street right behind the old market, is there so that the general public will have a central office from where it can get all the information about the Home’s work and activities and where it can make a donation for Dar tal-Providenza.

Presently the office is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday between 9.00am and noon.

Dar tal-Providenza appeals for donations

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Dar tal-Providenza, whilst thanking the public for the generosity it has always shown, is appealing for donations especially after it was made known that the amount raised during the January 1, 2021 marathon has to be revised downwards. This after GO p.l.c. announced that a technical fault led to a double registering of donations from the Company’s registered numbers.

As a result of this error, the actual sum raised during the Festa ta’ Ġenerożità marathon is now €1,604,540, a decrease of €427,000 from that originally announced. This downward revision is going to affect the plans that Dar tal-Providenza had for this year and therefore, as it always does, it is going to put its trust in providence and in the generosity of the people of Malta and Gozo.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to Dar tal-Providenza can access information online on www.sabihlitaghti.org.

“Here for you, like Mary” – A Reflection by Fr Martin Micallef

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This year, the commemoration of Our Lady of Sorrows, which in Malta we traditionally celebrate with great devotion on the Friday before Holy Week, for me personally, has a much deeper and personal meaning than ever before. Because this year, Mary “standing by the cross of Jesus” (John 19:25) reminds me of how many people stood by me last year when I was going through an excruciating cancer treatment.

Mary standing by her crucified son Jesus becomes a beautiful example for us all, an example that mirrors the merciful heart of the good samaritan who in the words of Pope Francis in his recent Encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” “stopped, approached the man and cared for him personally, even spending his own money to provide for his needs.” (63) The Pope goes on to say, “above all he also gave him something that in our frenetic world we cling to tightly: he gave him his time.” (63). How wonderful it is to give some of your time to someone who is going through illness, solitude or some other form of suffering!

In my own pastoral ministry I have seen the face of suffering of so many sick persons: children, youths, parents who had just lost their son or their daughter at a tender age through sickness or a tragic accident, young adults riddled with drug addiction, among others. Before such situations, I always understood the need to be near these people at such difficult times, and did my very best to be there for them. But having experienced the sheer gift of human support at a time when I most needed it, I have never been more aware than today, that the best gift you can give to a person who is suffering is to give him or her some of your time, to give your presence and, when possible, your helping hand.

To be sick with cancer in hospital during this pandemic, doubled the suffering for me because hospital visits were prohibited. The number of those who could be physically close to me was very limited. But I must say that this shortcoming was truly made up for by the specialists, the doctors, nurses, the friars and other workers at the Haematology Ward. I will never forget their dedication, attention and love with which they treated me. That a doctor, nurse or carer comes into your room with a simple smile or to simply check on whether you need anything meant so much to me. It was a heartwarming experience, and it hit me as if they were constantly telling me: “We are here for you!”… “We are here for you like Mary!” How lovely it is to be like Mary near her suffering son.

Here for you like Mary, were also all those who used to call me to see how I was doing or simply sent me a message of support. In my heart I used to say, “See, He remembered me! She remembered me!”

Here for you like Mary, were members of my family, doctors, nurses, friends and others who knew me and who were always there for me in everything I needed.

Here for you like Mary, were those who during my illness and in solidarity with other cancer patients who were undergoing treatment and needed blood transfusions, chose to donate the much needed blood.

Here for you like Mary, were also all those who supported me with their prayers.

Here for you like Mary, we can all be by doing small gestures of human solidarity towards those who are suffering, who would certainly appreciate it immensely.

Standing by the cross and notwithstanding the helpless situation, Mary’s behaviour was certainly not that of the bitter vinegar of indifference, but rather the stimulant of love, courage, and solidarity. Today, I too wish to offer a word of encouragement and love to all those who are sick as well as those who are presently going through some form of suffering. Today, I can understand you that bit more and like those many who stood by me with their prayers, I promise you that I too will stand by you with my prayers to the good Lord, through the intercession of his mother Mary. Our Lady of Sorrows continuously invites us to act like her and be near those who are suffering because “we cannot be indifferent to suffering; we cannot allow anyone to go through life as an outcast.” (Fratelli Tutti, 68)

Dar tal-Providenza resident dies after testing positive for Covid-19

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The 30-year old resident tested positive on February 18th during routine tests that are conducted by Dar tal-Providenza.

The resident was immediately transferred to St Thomas Hospital in line with protocols adopted by the Home. In the meantime, residents and care workers who were in contact with the person who resulted positive were put under preventive quarantine.

The person died yesterday and her funeral is taking place this afternoon at the Siġġiewi Parish Church. Our sincere condolences go to her family and friends.

The Home is in constant contact with the Department of Public Health and is taking all necessary precautionary measures to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all its residents and employees.

In fact, vaccination with the first dose started on Monday 15th February 2021 for the residents as well as for the employees.

Covid-19 Vaccinations for residents and staff of Dar tal-Providenza

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This morning, Monday February 15th, Id-Dar tal-Providenza residents and staff started receiving the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Our thanks go to the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA) for the collaboration throughout.

Photo shows the first Dar tal-Providenza employee to get the vaccine.

BioArte sanitizers donated to Dar tal-Providenza

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Frontliners of Malta’s National Health Service, visitors to its various outlets and a number of local non-governmental organisations have benefited from a donation of thousands of bottles of hand sanitiser gel by The BioArte Limited, which only last year sequenced the Maltese strain of COVID-19 (SARS CoV-2) and continues to do so.

The hand sanitiser gel, in 100 ml and 500 ml bottles, was delivered last week to the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit of the Health Ministry, apart from the Dar tal-Providenza, the Malta Hospice Movement and the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS).

Mr Christian Duchow and Dr Manuele Biazzo, Directors of The BioArte, decided to make the donation to underline their start-up’s commitment to contribute to the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and follows the start-up’s decision to dedicate resources to the better understanding of the Maltese COVID-19 viral isolates.

“We decided to make these donations for the greater benefit of Maltese society and to underline our commitment to support key stakeholders who are, in their own way, contributing to a better society,” Dr Biazzo said.

There was gratitude from all those who received these generous donations. Ing. Karl Farrugia, Managing Director of the CPSU, said the hand sanitiser is part of the first line of defence that all those in the National Health Service constantly used in the course of their work and for visitors to their various outlets.

Nadine Camilleri Cassano, Administrator of the Dar tal-Providenza, said hand sanitiser was always in demand and thanked The BioArte for their altruistic donation. Anna Frendo, Care Services Manager at the Malta Hospice Movement, welcomed the donation and expressed her gratitude, on behalf of all the service users, for such a useful donation.

Regina Catrambone, co-founder and Director of MOAS, said the donation is highly appreciated and will be distributed among the migrant communities on the island.

The BioArte’s laboratories, based at the Life Sciences Park in San Gwann, were only inaugurated in November and the company, which employs a team of medical laboratory scientists and virologists – many with Ph.D.s, is committed to continue not only to detect SARS CoV-2 viral isolates, but also to perform research in the same field in order to obtain new information that may help the scientific community in the development of new remedies.

Its research of the sequencing of the first virus lineages, for which the funding was totally internal, were published last year by the American Society of Microbiology and the information is freely available on their website.

Among The BioArte’s services, beside the COVID screening services (antigenic and molecular), is the research-based clinical examination of persons, who are referred to the company by their doctors, to obtain a comprehensive outline of all the micro-organisms in their body, correlated with the latest data in research literature worldwide and the implication on their health.

Statement by Dar tal-Providenza

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Following the pledge of €500,000 from CATCO Group, Id-Dar tal-Providenza signed a letter of engagement with a local advisory and audit firm to conduct a due diligence exercise. Id-Dar tal-Providenza was informed by the firm that the chairman of the Group did not provide the relevant information requested from him as part of a verification process, and therefore Id-Dar tal-Providenza, while appreciating this kind gesture, is not in a position to receive the donation. The Administrative Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta was informed about this development.

The final sum of money donated during the Festa ta’ Ġenerożità held on January 1st 2021 has been revised down to €2,031,540.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza remains committed to providing the best services possible to its residents to support them to live their life with the dignity they deserve.

We take the opportunity to thank all those who through their donations and efforts have supported Id-Dar tal-Providenza in its work.