Cable & Wireless & Rotary Club of Liamuiga bring Valentine’s Day cheer to senior citizens
There was a time when it was reasonable to assume that Valentine’s Day was a celebration for the young and young at heart, but 4 years ago Cable & Wireless changed that. That was the introduction of the first ever Make a Wish for the Elderly project, a social outreach programme targeting senior citizens across St. Kitts & Nevis. Four years later, the structure is still the same – requiring the submission of nominations from friends, neighbours or loved ones. It’s also still a joint arrangement with the Rotary Club of Liamuiga, one of three Rotary Clubs in St. Kitts and Nevis. What has changed is the age range of the recipients – who are now not necessarily elderly in the strict sense of the word but are other wise indigent as a consequence of physical or other challenges.
For the first time in the four year life of the programme, nominations were also received from overseas, adding a touch of internationality to the programme, thanks to the internet. “I am impressed that our people overseas are fully participating in what is happening at home thanks to the internet which is literally bridging the distance,” said a satisfied Patricia Walters, Chief Executive, Cable & Wireless St. Kitts & Nevis and the brain child behind the idea.
The niece of one of the recipients whose request was sent online recommending her aunt, wrote, “as a prize and a wonderful treat for my Aunt Mildred I would love for her to experience a lovely gourmet lunch at the Marriot Hotel in St. Kitts or the Four Seasons Hotel in Nevis.” When the crew turned up at the aunt’s home at Fort Thomas Road she was pleasantly surprised and could not hold back the tears.
All of the recipients were grateful and warmly welcomed us. Some were clearly thrilled to have someone to talk to and had many interesting experiences to share. “The reward that we get back from this exercise cannot be quantified,” said Laverne Caines, VP Marketing and Corporate Communications who is also a member of the Rotary Club of Liamuiga. “Yes it is goodwill which is priceless, but beyond that, it just touches you on a personal level when the faces of these people light up beyond description,” she went on.
Not meant to be an extravagant exercise, the original objective has been maintained - to provide a simple gift that would bring some cheer to the nominees on Valentine’s Day. For this reason some of the nominees wanted items like a radio – this was the most requested item this year; another asked for a gift as simple as a thermos, while a lady who just had her sight restored ‘wished for a lovely bouquet of flowers.’ Whatever the gift was, one thing was common upon its presentation – the gratefulness of the recipients.
The presentations which began a little after nine in the morning, took the team around the island, making stops in a number of villages. In Nevis, three persons responded to the initiative, while in St. Kitts about 17 submissions were received.
ENDS
