Page 10 - aruba-today-20201224

Thursday 24 december 2020 locAl
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ATSA in support of the Red Cross’ Meals on Wheel program

ORANJESTAD — The Red that in order to keep all of
Cross Aruba is most famous its programs afloat the Red
for its roll during Carnival Cross relies on a network
here, when its volunteers of steadfast organizations
provide priceless assis- such as ATSA, the Aruba
tance to the parades and Time Share Association, for
during festivities with am- financial aid, which trans-
bulance and first aid ser- lates into a long-term, five-
vices. year commitment, for an
annual Awg 5,000 dona-
During 2020, the Red Cross tion. This year, however,
rose to the challenge of that donation was expand-
the Covid19 calamity, de- ed to include additional
livering social assistance Awg 7,800, dedicated to
for the poor and needy, holiday meals, as part of
providing emergency food the local Meals On Wheels
packages, then vouchers, effort, in honor of the up-
in full collaboration with the coming Christmas and
Dutch government, Funda- New Year celebrations.
cion pa Nos Comunidad ATSA includes the following
and a network of sponsors resort properties: Marriott
and benefactors, including Ocean Club, Marriott Surf
the hospitality industry here, Club, Playa Linda Beach
supermarkets, food pur- Resort, Amsterdam Manor,
veyors, and other NGOs. In La Cabana Beach Resort
a recent Red Cross report & Casino, Divi Phoenix,
published in December the Divi Dutch Village, Divi Vil-
organization made public lage, Divi Golf Villas & Resi-
that in Aruba, 17,740 peo- dences, La Quinta, Para-
ple received food assis- dise Beach Villas, Casa del
tance, 10,863 of which di- Mar Beach Resort, Aruba
rectly via the donations of Beach Club Resort, Carib-
the Netherlands Red Cross bean Palm Village resort,
and 6,877 via local partner and Eagle Beach Resort.
organizations, 184 house- Established in 1994, the
holds received reimburse- association works on a lo-
ment for school-related cal level, as a supporting
costs such as school bus, member of AHATA, the
uniforms, books and tuition Aruba Hotel and Tourism
fees. The social assistance Association, and with other
delivered by the Red Cross local organizations as well
in addition to basic needs, as Government entities.
food and hygiene packag- On a regional level, where
es also covers lonely local Aruba continues to receive
elderly, undocumented recognition as a model
asylum seekers and refu- timeshare destination,
gees, and an extensive list ATSA has professional ties
of individuals hit hard by with CHA, the Caribbean
economic downturn. Hotel Association and also
Aruba, was badly affected benefits from continuous
by the pandemic, due to its collaboration with ARDA,
high dependence on tour- the American Resort Devel-
ism, and consequently the opment Association.
need for food assistance Programs operated by
has risen exponentially, the Red Cross: Healthcare
since the beginning of the and Psychosocial Support
coronavirus crisis. program; Water, Sanita-
As a result, an Emergency tion and Hygiene (WASH)
Plan was launched in col- program, Food Assistance
laboration with the Neth- and Shelter Program, Ba-
erlands Red Cross, for a sic Needs. The Red Cross
large-scale food program volunteers all trained in
here, reportedly helping hygiene promotion and
3,500 households, since the correct use of personal
May 2020. protective equipment are
Besides food, other needs entrusted with health pro-
such as medical costs, rent motions.
and utilities, which could In the picture partners the
no longer be afforded Red Cross and ATSA, pose
by locals, could only be for a picture opportunity,
helped on a small scale. It as the donation is present-
is a well-publicized reality ed. q