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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 15, 2018 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – More than 30 community groups and organizations on both St. Kitts and Nevis have so far expressed their intention in undertaking various projects across the federation as the excitement and enthusiasm for the inaugural National Volunteer Day this Saturday, February 17, 2018 continue to build. 

 

The activities and projects associated with National Volunteer Day are expected to redound to the benefit of individuals, communities and the country as a whole.

 

While fully endorsing this initiative, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said it is his hope that National Volunteer Day will invoke one’s patriotism and further promote volunteerism across the country.

 

“What we are attempting to do on that particular day is again develop the deep patriotism which every country must have, especially a small one; a sense of belonging among our people, a sense of a civic duty which binds our people together, so irrespective of class [or] politics can do some good deed, volunteer their talents, their service, their caring, their solidarity in support of someone else,” Prime Minister Harris said while speaking on Thursday’s (February 15) edition of “Frank and Candid” on ZIZ radio with host Newrish Nital.

Dr. Harris continued, “Whether it is…persons collectively get together and, as it were, adopt a particular area in their community [and] making it clean and beautiful, as beautiful as can be, that is something we want to allow and to encourage them to do; whether it is that on that particular day we are going to remember our neighbour who is less able than we are and to do some kind deed, whether taking care of the household chores for that particular neighbour or elderly in the community. These things, simple as they are, are important in developing a society of love, of oneness, of caring and of solidarity, and volunteer day is expected henceforth to become an annual event and we want to see it grow and blossom, and that the things that we practice to do on volunteer day in particular, we would do them every day or as often as we can.”  

 

To date, groups such as the Mol-Phil Youth Explorers and the Shadwell Youth Explorers Youth Clubs, Reach Hamilton Estate Community Group, Cayon Football Club, the Pond Hill Beach Road and Chicken Stone Community Club, Sandy Point Agricultural Cooperative, the Cayon High School Environmental Club, Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and Islands Initiatives Inc., as well as Sons of Unlimited Light and BETA Boys have committed to participate in beach clean-ups, tree planting, delivering fruit baskets to the elderly, organized hikes with youths and visiting the residents of The Grange.

 

Another highlight of National Volunteer Day will be a special National Volunteer Luncheon for the elderly and indigent persons within our communities.

 

During the luncheon, which will be held at Government House from 11am to 2pm, hundreds of deserving elders will be personally served lunch by members of the Team Unity Cabinet. The government ministers are also expected to spend time interacting, conversing and reminiscing with these distinguished members of society.