CI$500,000 for new Covid assistance programme

Resilience Cayman has just announced a new Covid-19 assistance programme that is supported by a CI$500,000 grant from R3 Cayman Foundation which will provide food vouchers, utilities relief and rent assistance to individuals and families whose employment income has been severely reduced due to work disruptions caused by the pandemic. This is open to work permit holders as well as Caymanians and residents.

Resilience Chairperson Jan Gupta said the programme was responding to the evolving needs in the community.

"We have been supporting residents and families since the start of Covid-19 with food and utilities assistance,” she stated. “Now, as we experience a jump in local community cases and associated quarantine of many households and workplaces, we are anticipating that those workers who were already struggling financially in prior months could encounter even greater challenges in meeting their basic necessities of life. For individuals who do not qualify for government programmes, or whose NAU applications are awaiting a decision, there are limited places to turn to for help. Thanks to R3’s donation, we are ready to provide assistance to them.”

The programme provides one or more grants for various needs to eligible low-income customers who are struggling to pay for food, utilities and rent. To apply, individuals must complete an online application form or if they do not have access to the internet, they can call Resilience at (345) 333-1010 to get help with completing their application.

Supporting documentation will also be required, such as job termination letter, eviction notice, disconnection notice and/or quarantine notice. There are specific criteria that applicants will have to meet in order to qualify and eligibility will be verified with agencies including NAU and the Ministry of Tourism.

To pre-register visit https://www.resilience.ky or call (345) 333-1010

The grant is available to individuals:

• Residing in the Cayman Islands (Caymanian, PR and work permit holders with active or expired permits) who are at least 18 years old;

• Who do not qualify or haven’t been approved for assistance from other programs including NAU, Ministry of Tourism and ARK;

• Who are unable to pay for their food and essentials, rent, CUC and/or water;

• Who have stopped working or have significantly reduced income because of reasons related to Covid-19;

• Who expect to have less than CI$1,500 monthly employment/self-employment income in November 2021.

R3 Chairman Bryan Hunter said that R3’s donation to this programme was a continuation of its efforts to support utilities, food and rent assistance programmes in the community.

“With the help of our generous donors, we have provided donations over the course of the last year to a number of non-profit organisations, including Resilience Cayman, to support their respective utilities, food and rent assistance programmes for those families and individuals who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr. Hunter said. “As such needs continue to exist in the community, we are pleased to continue our efforts to address those needs by supporting this programme that is being run by Resilience Cayman. We encourage all eligible members of the community who have been adversely impacted by Covid-19 to contact them.”