As the Cayman economy continues to feel the pressure as more and more people lose their jobs and incomes, charities and organisations are being relied upon more than ever to.
For those in the fortunate position to help others, we have pulled together a list of requests from local charities. For those who need the help of these charities please call one of the numbers below. Please note that these charities are not just providing help to Caymanians and those with Permanent Residency. If you are in need, regardless of your nationality, please get in touch with them.
Community Soup Kitchen #1 - Community Services Department of the Seventh Day Adventist Church
For those who need help:
Open to everyone who is
in need, regardless of their faith or denomination, the Community
Services Department of the George Town Seventh Day Adventist Church on
Smith Road just before the hospital 4-way stop, offer a soup kitchen
five days a week. On Wednesdays from 7am-10am they serve a vegetarian
soup. On Fridays they serve breakfast (porridge) from 7am-10am, and on
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8am-9.30am they don't serve any
cooked food but they do give out bags of basic groceries which include
rice, beans, flour and sugar, and when they have it in stock, chicken
and fish. They also deliver food to the elderly and those who cannot
travel to them.
For those who can help:
What they really need is
donations of either farmer's boxes of fresh vegetables so that they can
make soup on more days of the week, or gifts cards to either Fosters,
Cost U Less or Progressive Distributors so that they can buy food in
bulk or specialty food items (like Ensure) for the elderly. These things
can be dropped off at the Seventh Day Adventist hall on Smith Road or
you can call Ms Elsie Myles on (345) 925 0254 for more information.
Community Soup Kitchen #2 - Sponsored by Raul and Kathy Nicholson-Coe
For those who need help:
Open to anyone who is in need, Raul and Kathy Nicholson-Coe are running a self-funded community soup kitchen from the John Gray Memorial Church in West Bay (by the 4-way stop) near Fosters although they can deliver the food (homemade soup and a sandwich or slice of pizza) if you don't have transport. It is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 11.30am-1.30pm. Please feel free to contact them on (345) 547 4209 or just visit the church on those days for some food.
For those who can help:
They do not need food donations but they could really do with some CI$25 Foster's gift certificates which they will then give out with their food deliveries so that families can buy other things that they need from the grocery store. Feel free to call Kathy on 547 4209 if you can donate or have any questions.
Community Soup Kitchen #3 - Sponsored by ARK and Deckers Restaurant
As outlined below (in the ARK write-up), ARK is running a soup kitchen out of Deckers Restaurant on West Bay Road. Most of the 5,200 meals a week are delivered to families by the 14+ drivers which they have delivering food. This is also the location where home cooked meals and food donations are dropped off and dispatched by their drivers Island wide, six days a week. See ARK's listing below on how you can get help and how you can donate.
Community Soup Kitchen #4 - Sponsored by ARK and the Lighthouse Restaurant
As outlined below (in the ARK write-up), ARK is running a soup kitchen out of the Lighthouse Restaurant in Breakers. Most of the meals are collected from the Lighthouse and delivered to families by the numerous drivers who have volunteered their time. See ARK's listing below on how you can get help and how you can donate.
Acts of Random Kindness (ARK)
For those in need of help:
Please reach out to Tara Nielsen either via WhatsApp on (345) 323 0719, or via their Facebook page, or via email on info@arkcayman.com. You can also visit their website, fill out the form: https://www.caymansark.com/con... and let them know how you need help. They have two soup kitchens, one at Deckers on Seven Mile Beach and the other at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Breakers. They are now delivering over 5,200 meals a week and they are in the process of creating a third location in North Side. With every delivery of food each family receives a Fosters card for CI$25-100 so that they can purchase fresh produce and cleaning supplies. They deliver food 6 days a week and dispatch their drivers island wide.
For those who can donate:
For those would can help ARK support families who are struggling to find enough money to feed themselves and their families here is how you can help: 1) You can donate online to ARK (also see their Butterfield account below) and they have been using this to buy supermarket vouchers for people to buy supplies and they have been giving money to Deckers Restaurant (plus Tukka and the Lighthouse in the Easter districts) who have been making and distributing 1,000 meals a day for those in need. This has been rising by 200 meals a day per week. 2) You can purchase provisions and create your own 'storehouse' of supplies which ARK will then distribute to those in need. 3) You can donate to ARKs 'Gift Certificate/Grocery Card' initiative, or their 'Reconnect program' (keeping families connected to power and water) and be a vital part of a collective effort to care for the community. 4) ARK are also asking the community to use their cooking skills to #FeedCayman2020. On your designated grocery day, pick up a "cook and carry" pan ("Handi-foil" and other brands). Make a meal that can be frozen and please be creative. They have been feeding families lasagna, collage pie and spaghetti bolognese for two months now so a change would be very much appreciated! No nuts please. Cookies and brownies for kids also welcome - no nuts. Label and date the meal when cooked/frozen. Freeze and drop off at Deckers, 12pm-1.30pm daily. An ARK volunteer will be at the back of the restaurant so you can pass the trays of food to a volunteer through your car window. Please call Niel on (345) 326 3322 if you have any questions or (345) 323 0719.
ARK Butterfield account details:
Account # 01201039292 (USD)
Account # 02201039292 (KYD)
Cayman Food Bank
For those that need help:
The
food pantry is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am-12noon (or
until the food runs out). So for those with an A to K surname they can
go on a Wednesday and those with a L to Z surname can go on a Saturday.
The food pantry is located at the First Assembly of God church, 95 Old
Crewe Road, opposite Kings Sports Centre on the outskirts of George Town
and just before Red Bay. You can call Marie on (345) 916 8006 who
coordinates the pantry or email her on info@caymanfoodbank.com.
They also make 200+ meals a day which are then delivered to those in
need or those who are shut in. If you cannot make it to the food pantry,
or are one of those who are shut in, please just call Marie and she
will organise getting food to you. The daily 200+ meals are being made
in the kitchen of Drs Hospital (CTMH) seven days a week. Please reach
out for help or visit the pantry if you need help.
For those who can donate:
The Cayman Food Bank urgently needs supplies and donations. Please see the list below. They are accepting donations at their warehouse which is located in the Rosedale Warehouses which is opposite Progressive Distributors in the Industrial Park. The address is: 51 Sleepy Hollow Road, Rosedale Warehouses, Unit 11, off Sparky's Drive, Industrial Park. Since the coordinator, Phillip Hyre, is running back and forth making deliveries please call him on (345) 926 6111 as there may not be someone there when you want to make the delivery. You can also email Phillip on Phillip@caymanfoodbank.com. You can also donate money to their fund with which they buy supplies to make the 200+ meals that they make and distribute each day plus they buy groceries in bulk for those who need it. Their volunteers are also making and selling face masks and the money raised is used to buy more food to help people. Here is the account number at Cayman National Bank: KYD account # 011-15055 “The Good Samaritan Food Bank”.
Suggested Shopping List
- Gift certificate/Voucher
- Rice Dry or Canned Beans
- Pasta & Pasta Sauce
- Baby Formula/Baby Food
- Canned Veggies, Stews, Chili, Soups
- Stuffing Mix/Cake Mix
- Apple sauce
- Canned Meats (Chicken, Tuna, etc)
- Cooking Oils (Olive, canola, etc)
- Crackers
- Herbs & Spices
- Canned or Dried Fruit
- Granola Bars/Snack Packs
- Instant Potatoes
- Meals in a Box
- Powdered Milk
- Nuts
- Peanut Butter
- Cereals
- Juices
- Teas/coffee
- Instant noodles
- Tinned Spaghetti/Pastas
- Toiletries (deodorant, soaps)
- Holiday treats
Meals on Wheels (MOW)
For those in need of help:
Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels (MOW) provides free, hot, nutritious meals to seniors, the homebound and the disabled throughout the Cayman Islands, Monday to Friday, 52 weeks of the year. This service supplies them with the assistance needed to retain their self-worth and independence and the ability to remain in their homes. Isolation is a major issue for many seniors and the social contact provided by the 100+ volunteers at MOW offers some relief for these individuals.
If you are in need, or have an elderly person you know who is in need at this time then please call Jennifer West on (345) 546 8886 or email: info@mealsonwheels.ky and they will send you an application form to fill in. The reason an application form is needed is that many elderly have specific dietary needs, or are bed ridden, and each meal is specifically catered to the specific individual person each day.
For those who can donate:
At this time the office of MOW is closed and they are asking people to not do drop offs of food and supplies. The problem is that everything needs to be cleaned and they do not know where it has come from. What they would much rather have are donations to their Butterfield bank account (they are a payee on the list - see Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels) and with this they will buy food in bulk at wholesale prices from Cost U Less and Progressive Distributors. This way they know that the food has only come from one place and everything is wrapped. In 2019 they cooked and delivered over 50,000 meals and Jennifer tells us that since the Covid-19 crisis their requests for help have doubled.
You can also visit their website www.pledgeasenior.com and make a donation there.
Resilience Cayman (Managed by the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce)
In an effort It help those who are in desperate need during the Covid-19 crisis where many have lost their jobs and finding enough food to feed themselves and their children is a grave and real concern, the Chamber of Commerce, with the help of their members from the business community, have set up Resilience Cayman. Its mission is to build food security and a sustainable future
where all residents of the Cayman Islands are able to contribute to the development of a thriving community even in the midst of crisis. They are in agreement that it will take each resident and organization in the Cayman Islands to step up and work with each other to solve the most critical challenges of meeting everyone’s basic needs for food, shelter, healthcare and jobs.
In their first few weeks of being formed Resilience Cayman says that they received over 6,000 requests for assistance. So far over 1,000 people have been approved for food support.
For those who need help:
If you would like a farm box or you are a farmer who can help the community please see here: https://www.resilience.ky/farm...
If you need help financially or with food vouchers please see here: https://www.resilience.ky/requ...
For those who can donate:
If you can make a donation to Resilience Cayman please click here: https://resilience.caymangatew...
If you can help out and are willing to volunteer please see here: https://www.resilience.ky/volu..
Big Brothers Big Sisters Cayman Islands (BBBS)
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cayman Islands (‘BBBS’), is a non-profit organisation. Their goal is to help young people ages six years to sixteen years who face adversity and those who have little opportunity to develop positive relationships with adults to reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with volunteer mentors. While working with the youth/children in the family, they take a holistic approach to the family and provide support as necessary.
Currently, as of May 2020, they have thirty (30) children/youth who are matched with mentors “(Bigs”) and twenty (20) children “Wait Listed.” (not yet matched) Since COVID-19 pandemic, more than 85% of their parents (one or both parents) have become unemployed and are in need of assistance with food, clothing, and school supplies. While they are encouraging individuals to apply to NAU, it is proving that this Department is overwhelmed with applications.
For those who can help:
If you can help in any way at all then please call Angela Sealey, the BBBS Programme Director, on (345) 923 2471 or (345) 325 9661 or email her on startsomething@bbbs.ky. They currently need the following: food vouchers, food supplies, dinner delivered to a family as an incentive to the Littles for their efforts, clothing for children (ages 6-16 years), books, toys, board games, electronic games or IT equipment. Monitory donations would also be much appreciated to ensure that BBBS are in a position to provide the much-needed mentoring service to children in our community. They are not stopping what we do, but finding new ways to deliver what they do best.
Cayman Islands Red Cross (CIRC)
Interested in volunteering for the COVID19 national response? The CIRC is putting together a national database of volunteers to help determine their capacity to assist. Fill in this form and you'll start receiving notifications about how to get involved.
Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman
The Kiwanis Club has teamed up with The Department of Education and Feed to offer a Homeschool Lunch Program during this difficult time. They are providing a hot meal or supermarket voucher to almost 400 Government school students who are hungry and in need.
If you’d like to support this initiative, please feel free to transfer funds to the Kiwanis’ CNB checking account # 011-14262, name: Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman.
For more information on this and other programs visit their website, call (345) 916 8664 or email kadi@kiwanis.ky.
Breast Cancer Foundation
The Breast Cancer Foundation asks that if you know anyone who is going through any cancer at the moment, that you call or message them to see if there is a way you can help. It won’t be just the patient in lock down but also their family. Please be mindful that both patients and their families have to be super careful about germs as the patient’s immune system is totally compromised.
Anyone worried about breast cancer, signs, symptoms or has been diagnosed and needs help and advice they should contact the Breast Cancer Foundation on (345) 936 1135, (345) 938 1135 or (345) 923 1135 and they will do what they can to help them.
Cayman Islands Blood Bank
The Cayman Islands Blood Bank is open, taking blood donations and are fully operational at the Cayman Islands Hospital. COVID-19 is not a blood borne illness so it is completely safe to donate blood. It is times like these that people in the community may need your help and your donation can save up to three lives. Contact the Blood Bank for instructions on how to gain access to the hospital.
Cayman Islands Humane Society
The Humane Society encourages anybody working from home to consider fostering an adult dog or adult cat. Unfortunately many people are having to suddenly leave the Island due to their economic circumstances and as a result needing to leave their pet with the Humane Society. This sadly means there has been an increase in the number of animals at the shelter.
Fostering also gives the Humane Society an insight on how the animal behaves in a home environment, which helps promote them to potential adopters.
N.C.V.O.
The NCVO is urgently asking community members to make a donation through their website or provide donations of food. People are welcome to deliver healthy snacks for children under 5 (to help feed 55 students), or provide sealed ingredients for meals for the children’s group home (12 young residents). Please call (345) 525 2797 or email ncvo@ncvo.org.ky for details on where to deliver the food.
The NCVO oversees several programmes including two preschools and a care home for young adults.
The early childhood centres (Jack & Jill Nursery and Miss Nadine’s Pre-school) have closed but staff are still supporting caregivers. The 55 children that are educated at the centres are low-income/special needs and so the NCVO has made the decision to not charge fees during the closures as it will be difficult for parents to pay for school and childcare. This will leave the NCVO with a CI$40,000 deficit. Despite this, the NCVO will still provide families food for the children as school usually provides meals which the children may otherwise go without. School supply kits will also be provided.
The Nadine Andreas Residential Centre is a group home for nine children in need of care and protection. The centre needs staff work overtime to provide coverage while the children are not in school. In addition to the increased staffing cost, more meals, more cleaning support, and the tutoring sessions that will be needed will increase the operating cost of the home for the next 60+ days.
One Dog at A Time (ODAAT)
Unfortunately ODAAT has had to close their Thrift Shop so their income has been drastically reduced. You can support them by making a donation via the phone at The Vet Clinic at Countryside on (345) 945 1242 or through donating dog food. Email onedogatatimeky@gmail.com for details on where the dog food can be dropped off. Finally, ODAAT is always looking for foster homes for their dogs.