IN PAPHOS, which has been hardest hit by the wave of unemployment, authorities, businesses and the general public have joined forces to ensure needy families won’t be left hungry, especially during the Christmas period.
A Paphos municipality social welfare committee programme to help began in April with 150 families receiving some sort of food support. That number has now grown to more than 500.
President of the Paphos municipality social welfare committee Maria Zavrou said the response from individuals, businesses, supermarkets and associations wanting to help, was overwhelming.
“At the beginning of the week we handed out special Christmas food parcels to about 550 needy families in Paphos,” she said.
According to the social welfare fund, the size of the family and the numbers of children denoted whether food parcels were double or even triple the size of the regular boxes, as there will be no further grocery boxes given again until January 7.
“The Christmas parcels included all the usual staple products such as cooking oil, pasta sugar, flour, long life milk, rice, pulses and coffee, as well as extra groceries such as fruit and chickens which were donated by the Paphos municipality,” said Zavrou.
In addition, the families were given coupons for meat for Christmas dinner. “We have stamped vouchers for €10 and €20 worth of meat as an extra,” she added
A basic package contains food worth €35-€40 and around 65 families receive weekly help with the rest being given parcels either once or twice a month.
According to the social welfare fund around €30,000 worth of goods has been given away in the last month. Individuals, schools, businesses and associations wanting to help out, have also been making cash donations to the fund on an almost daily basis
Zavrou said she had been touched by the generosity of the general public: “Only this morning a Norwegian man and his wife, both residents of Paphos, bought in a cash donation of €2,500, which will be put towards buying groceries for the families in need,” she said.
“We can only thank everyone for pulling together to help each other through these difficult times.”
The Paphos municipality has re assigned some municipal cash to the social welfare fund by cancelling a number of events, in order to offer assistance to families who have been worst hit by the economic crisis.
The mayor of Yeroskipou said that for the first time families in his municipality were now in need of food assistance.
Michael Pavlides told the Cyprus Mail: “We have now implemented an assistance programme called ‘food with love’- and this week we handed out money, food, clothing and toys to 70 needy families in Yeroskipou.”
Pavlides added that the municipality was aiming to continue the programme on a regular basis and offer support to the families which are facing huge financial difficulties.
“Many people have lost their jobs and this programme is something new for us in Yeroskipou. We are all doing what we can to help. “As well as businesses and supermarkets, many individuals have been so kind as well.”
Peyia Municipality collected donations of food as part of a programme which ran from last Wednesday. Donations included pasta, beans, rice, children’s food, sugar, biscuits, oil, flour, nuts, cereal, canned goods, milk and conserves.
The municipality is hoping to provide both food and financial assistance to these people even after the Christmas period.
Mayor of Polis Chrysochous, Angelos Georgiou said that close to 50 families there were in need of food assistance.
He said: ”In co operation with a number of different organisations, we will be giving out coupons for food as well as money on December 27 and 28.”
“We will also be asking members of the public if they can donate groceries and bring them to the municipality.”
The Pupils’ Choir from The International School of Paphos (ISOP), accompanied by the School’s management brought the spirit of Christmas to citizens in need.