SCOTIABANK DONATES $25,000 TO CAYMAN’S ARK

Scotiabank has come to the rescue of hundreds of Caymanians who are still facing the harsh economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. On September 11, the Bank presented a cheque for $25,000 to the Cayman ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) charity which has been issuing grocery vouchers to needy families since the lockdown restrictions that were implemented earlier this year.

“Scotiabank remains committed to helping Cayman weather this crisis. We are also very aware that while the curve remains flat throughout the islands, the pandemic is not over, and so we hope that our donation will bolster the ongoing efforts of Cayman ARK to give further assistance to Caymanians in need,” shared Greg Fletcher, Regional Wealth Management Director and Market Lead at Scotiabank Cayman.

Grateful for the donation, Tara Nielsen, director of the organization explained most of its beneficiary’s loss of income still threatens their well-being despite the slowdown of cases and modest restart of the economy. While the borders remain closed and tourism is on pause, there is widespread anguish as residents question how long it will be before they can begin to earn a steady income again. She noted that the charity continues to offer wide-ranging assistance to hundreds of families island-wide.

ARK served over 2000 people from two soup kitchens during lockdown and has now moved to providing ‘emergency aid care packages’ consisting of Foster’s cards & other vouchers to those in need.

One such person was Chenice who thanked Nielsen and her team saying “If it had not been for the hot meals and food cards delivered by ARK volunteers during lockdown, we would not have been able to feed our children or ourselves, we had no one else to depend on. I don’t know how we will ever recover after so long with no income, but for now we live day to day and are so thankful to ARK.”

“We would like to thank the team at Scotiabank for this very generous donation. We are very cognizant that the virus has also impacted corporate organizations and so, it is indeed laudable that they still continue to provide support to the community in this time of critical need,” Nielsen said.

Going forward, Nielsen said that for the rest of the year, Cayman’s ARK will continue to support the families needing assistance, particularly those still displaced by the disruptions in the tourism sector.

Founded on the principles of humanity, kindness and compassion, Cayman’s ARK is a non-profit organization, founded in 2006. Prior to COVID-19, ARK ran the “Feed Cayman” program for over 10 years which distributes weekly vouchers to disadvantaged families, single parents, the underserved and other vulnerable persons.