July 30th, 2018
The focus was on the family during The Department of Community Development’s Family Month, which ran from June 15th -July 15th, 2018.
The celebration, which is held annually to highlight the importance of family life to the nation, saw a wide range of activities in different communities around the island – all of which allowed family members, from young to older, to strengthen their bonds, learn skills, and have fun together as one body.
In describing the activities, Community Development Officer, Mr Delroy Prentice, noted that the Department hosted Movie Nights in several communities in which residents were invited to come out and relax to a family-friendly movie while partaking of delicious treats. A Family Fun Day, in which parents and offspring were rewarded for the end of a successful school term, was also held at the Irishtown Primary School, with children enjoying bouncing castles, movies, horseback riding, and other delights.
The month’s activities further included Informational Sessions with parents at various pre-schools, to discuss various ways of strengthening family bonds, the Handing- over of Schoolbags (donated by Ms. Edris Lewis) to Primary Schools in McKnight and Cayon, and the Donation and Planting of soursop trees, to encourage families to use and benefit from the health properties of this local fruit.
Mr. Prentice declared that the month was successful, stating “Family month went extremely well this year – the initiatives launched were fresh and welcoming to the community. We now have more to do because persons were so thrilled with the month that they are expecting more community events from the Department”
He said that community cohesion would have been strengthened because of the Month of activities, and that the Department looks forward to continuing its community-building efforts for the rest of the year.
Ministry of Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services