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Companies chip in to clear FSN’s rent

- charity organisation has $100k + budget shortfall this year; appeals for further help
President of FSN Judith M. Charles (centre) stands with donors' representatives Ingrid Smith (Sabal's Law) (right), Simon Cross (Nagico) (left back row), Edith Steel (Rawlinson and Hunter) (right back row) and individual donor Roger Harris (centre back row). Also in photo is Tortola Ladies Club Secretary Susan Keeley (left). Photo: VINO
The Family Support Network (FSN) building. Photo: VINO
The Family Support Network (FSN) building. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – A slew of private corporations and an individual have come to the rescue of the Family Support Network (FSN) with donations amounting to six months’ worth of owed rent for the network’s help centre located in Road Town, as the entity continues to appeal for additional Government and other funding to meet its operating expenditures.

This is the result of an appeal made by the Tortola Ladies Club for help to pay the FSN’s monthly rent of $800. As a result of the appeal, six generous donors stepped forward to date and chipped in to pay FSN’s rent owed from January to June 2015.

The Club is making further appeals for donors to help with the rent for July and onwards.

The six entities that donated one month’s rent each are Appleby Global, Nagico Insurances, Rawlinson and Hunter, Sabal’s Law, Tovel Investment and an individual Mr Roger Harris.

At a handing over ceremony held in an area near the FSN’s Office yesterday June 12, 2015, a few of the donors sent representatives to make the cheque presentations.

FSN struggling to keep its head above waters

Speaking at the handing over, President of FSN Judith M. Charles said the entity barely has money to pay its staff and not to the level that they should be paid. She said counsellor Dr Sylvia M. Simmonds and an advocate and intake person are the paid staff and the rest of the work is done by a team of what she called serious volunteers.

“I have heard the criticism that our budget is $110,000 for 2014 and 60 percent of that is to pay salaries. We have two staff and we have to pay them and we have to pay all the relevant Government taxes. We are an NGO but we don’t get away with everything for free,” she stressed. The Government provides a grant to FSN of $40,000 a year but this clearly does not cover the costs and services of the organisation.

In 2014, FSN fed 242 families and held 410 counselling sessions for men, women, couples and children. They also run anger management sessions as requested by the courts. With all of the additional work, the FSN expects its 2015 budget to be $150,000.

According to Charles, when the economy got bad a few years ago the food pantry became really important to ensuring that some families got a little something to take them through the days.

“And we don’t give people chicken and steak and such…they get what is in that pantry and that is the hurricane type of staples,” she said.

Charles said that the organisation is much more than just the food and clothes given to persons when they come for help. She said the counselling that is provided comes at a cost. She said that because there is now court mandated counselling this puts more pressure on the staff to provide such services. They also help people in abusive situation with protection orders.

Charles expressed thanks to the donors for their contribution towards keeping the doors of FSN open.

Secretary of the Tortola Ladies Club, Susan Keeley said they are looking forward to anyone who wants to donate towards FSN’s work, adding that even if they can’t provide cash they can purchase some extra tins of items in the supermarket to drop off or provide used clothes and such like.

13 Responses to “Companies chip in to clear FSN’s rent”

  • ABC (13/06/2015, 10:09) Like (9) Dislike (21) Reply
    Another reason why u all will suffer under the ndp because they compite with the private sector
  • Really (13/06/2015, 12:54) Like (16) Dislike (2) Reply
    They should have been given some of that billboard and jingle money. There are so many societal ills yet government's priorities are all over the place. Yet our symbol is the family and the family support network suffering. Wow!!!!
  • ? (13/06/2015, 14:44) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Are these people volunteers, or paid employees--that run this FSN?
    • K (13/06/2015, 20:20) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      Fsn seems to fall under the Social Development dept.... check the blue pages in the telephone directory.
  • tears (13/06/2015, 16:55) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    I CRY FOR MY BVI
  • C.t.. (13/06/2015, 17:58) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Ndp doit
  • okay (13/06/2015, 19:51) Like (11) Dislike (5) Reply
    This is my two cents - I am not really sorry because I think that FSN competing with Social Development. Let Social Development do some real work for once. You should not be feeding anyone. If there is a genuine lack of primary needs, then social development needs to go into these homes, assess and provide whatever assistance. I believe most of the monies are paid to you and your staff. The workers of this organization should be volunteers. Now if you want to pay them a little stipend of say $100.00 per month then fine. I personally would work here for free once I have the time. The monies granted by Government is enough to cover rent and other basic supplies. The food supply should come by donation if necessary. If the Courts is requesting that you provide anger management courses then the courts should cover those costs managed by your unit. I am tired of you guys here begging when there are real persons out there struggling.
    • Family Support Network (15/06/2015, 10:22) Like (18) Dislike (0) Reply
      We cannot speak on behalf of the Government about what they should or should not be doing. FSN has evolved over time with the evolving needs of the community, hence the food pantry, the clothes closet. The food supply is in fact donated, and we always make sure to make that clear. However, one of the most time consuming parts of what FSN does is counseling. No one, not FSN nor I daresay Government can do counseling in this country without a Masters degree in Counseling. Now if you know where we can find a degreed counselor for $100 month let us know. FSN is open from 9AM to 5PM and is often open on a Saturday dealing with emergencies. In addition there is a 24/7 number and those who need help outside of working days and hours know how to contact the counselor, she she is basically on call at all times. Again, if you know where to find that for $100 or volunteers who want to provide that let us know. We have some pretty great volunteers, but volunteer counselors are few and far between. We have one who substitutes for the counselor when she goes off island. Everywhere else there are Non Governmental Organizations that work to supplement what government agencies do. It is the sign of what is called "Civil Society". It is something that again, in most places, people see as necessary and important to how a country functions. FSN is not in competition with any government agency, government agencies refer clients to us. That being said if the person's needs are outside our scope of help we refer them to an agency, usually government, that should be able to help them. We also don't beg. We go out and educate the public about what we do and why we do it. From that comes the community response. Those real persons out there struggling that you refer to are usually the people who come to FSN for help with their struggles.
    • @okay (15/06/2015, 18:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      cross angry and miserable when the court send us there we pay $50 per hour dont talk about what you dont know.
  • @okay (13/06/2015, 20:21) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    NGOs assist by taking the strain off social services (Gov). It's not a competition. Although NGOs don't operate "for profit" some have workers who may be paid and some who are volunteers yes, but in this case you have a professional working for this organization and one other worker who are the core employees, I don't think anything is wrong with paying them. As far as I am aware food is donated and they have food drives all the time to try to collect canned food/non perishable items. I agree with your comment about the courts paying for their referral cases but the comment regarding begging is not warranted. The Gov cannot help everyone and that is why NGOs are there. The BVI just doesn't have that many as compared to other jurisdictions. There are alot of people who would benefit from them.
  • facts man (14/06/2015, 09:50) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    Thank god for fsn they have helped many persons..the SSD is usless
  • Let's work together (15/06/2015, 10:11) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    @Okay, I could not agree with you more. Personally I think that the BVI is way too small to be having all these departments and organizations doing the very same thing. Why is the court using FSN when the Social Development Department is there which is a Government entity. I think that the FSN needs to be run by the Government and since there are so many empty offices that Government is paying for, why not allow the Family Support Network to utilize one of them and that money that they are paying for rent can be used for something else. Let us be wise in our spending and not waste it because the time is coming when we will want that same money. Just my two cents.
  • Flexible (18/06/2015, 09:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The problem government run departments have is they are not flexible - they cannot quickly adapt to the needs of the community because everything has to be proposed, seconded, authorised, etc. and only then does anything go to the treasury to arrangement payment. This is true of all governments and is necessary to ensure everything is done properly but it means that quick, reactive and caring organisations that rescue people from - and help people in - bad situations cannot work under a government umbrella.


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