Page 13 - ARUBA TODAY

A13
Wednesday 18 July 2018

Helping Hands for Less Fortunate Children

By Linda Reijnders

SAN NICOLAS — Helping Hand
Foundation is an organization that
contributes to the less fortunate
children of Aruba. One of the vol-
unteers is Aruba Today’s highly ap-
preciated photo columnist Steve
Francees. Steve shares his person-
al experience with us about the re-
warding volunteer work of Helping
Hand Foundation.

Steve: “Our main focus is the chil-
dren in foster homes and in families
that can't take care of them. Two
weeks ago we decided to help the
illegal Venezuelans on the island
with grocery and also medicine for
some children/babies that don't
have a legal status on the island,
so also no medical insurance.”
The foundation wishes to offer a
unique learning & growing experi-
ence to the less fortunate children
of Aruba between the ages of 9
and 12, through dedication, cour-
age and collaboration with other
similar foundations. Helping Hand
Foundation works closely with oth-
er foundations in the selection pro-
cess to ensure that every child in
need and that is part of our target Camps” during which besides fun tralized. These “Fun Camps” will Day and Father’s Day, they orga-
group gets the chance to experi- and education, open communi- primarily take place during school nize a Christmas program for Cas
ence the fun. Their primary focus cation and bonding between the breaks, however they also aim to Marie (home for demented elder-
is to design well thought out “Fun crew and the children are cen- maintain contact with the children ly) and they have organized a kids
every month at social gatherings; choir and kids camps, a children
movie nights, rides and other get- program, help cancer patients
togethers. and so on.

We Are A team
Steve recently took four kids on a Support
day out to have fun. “These kids “We don't get any support from
are all born in Aruba by illegal par- the government, what we do is
ents, so they still have no identity 100% out of our own pocket of the
(ID), their mother is now in the Do- team that we are working with. We
minican Republic and can't take believe that we need to serve the
care of herself. The father is some- needy and give support to whoev-
where on Aruba, still illegal and er need it.” At this moment their fo-
the kids ended up at their grand- cus is to support children that have
mother, living all in one bedroom one of their parents died of cancer
house.” So for the last 6 years, the and the foundation is taking care
foundation has been taking care of two now. “We are also helping
of them: school, foster care, court, a teenager that suffers from a very
police and so on, and this year rare disease and he couldn’t con-
they accepted them in Imeldahoff tinue with his study for this reason.
and the two girls in Casa Cuna, Yesterday his sister told me that
both children’s homes. “It's not me he wants to be a Barista, and the
only, but we are a team of volun- Foundation decided helping him
teers working in our neighborhood. paying for his course.”
This is one case but we had a lot
more over the last years.” Every More information about the foun-
year they visit the children’s de- dation is to be found at Facebook:
partment at the hospital as well Helping Hand Foundation Aruba q
as other departments on Mother’s