Residents of Safe Haven Transitional Centre in Johnson's Ghut being treated to haircuts on November 18, 2021. Photo: VINO

A student volunteer pushes a youth in a wheelchair at Safe Haven Transitional Centre. Photo: VINO

Acting Director at the Safe Haven Transitional Centre Mrs Nellville George–Broustorph and her team, along with some corporate sponsors, treated their clients to a day of well-deserved pampering on November 18, 2021. Photo: VINO

“We are doing our 2021 Care Project, under the theme 'See me, not my limitations'. We are providing different services to the most vulnerable in our population. In our community, those persons may be homeless, differently-abled, persons who may be suffering from mental disorders, persons who may have substance abuse challenges,” she said to the press during the event yesterday afternoon.

George–Broustorph said Safe Haven collaborated with Deloitte and the BVI Red Cross, among other service organisations, and student volunteers from the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies and local barbers also chipped in.

"They are providing free massages, we have the ladies getting their nails cut and painted, and getting their hair plaited,” she said.

The Jamaican Kitchen likewise donated soup to residents that were shared with the other vulnerable persons in East End, Pasea Estate and Road Town.

Mrs George–Broustorph stated that the Autism Centre also brought their clients to the centre to be pampered.

“We just wanted to provide an opportunity for them, this is a population which is underserved really and sometimes we don’t remember them but they are so much in need because they are human beings also. And we want to give back, we try to give back a few times of the year in our outreach, but this time we wanted to do something different hence all of this.”

Self-esteem boost

Mrs George–Broustorph said some of the benefits to the initiative was the self-esteem boost for persons.

“You can see the self-esteem, they feel so good, you can see that they feel happy to be remembered to be pampered.”

Residents were likewise treated to lively engaging music which created a cheerful mood at the centre’s location at Johnson’s Ghut.

Safe Haven Transitional Centre (formerly Sandy Lane Centre) was established on January 2, 2015, under the Ministry of Health and Social Development. The aim of the Centre is to assist chronically homeless individuals to develop the skills and resources for independent living. The Centre offers various therapeutic services and activities that would enable individuals to attain their optimal level of functioning and become self-sufficient over a period of up to two years.