Carissa Lee
With two children and no job, Yvonne Joseph lined up outside the TTPost office on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain, yesterday hoping her incomplete Salary Relief Grant form submission would be accepted.
“I hoping we get through by the grace of God,” she said.
But Joseph’s form was missing an important piece of information. Since her termination, she has been unable to get in contact with her employer, whose signature was important on the grant form.
She instead attached her termination letter which was issued on March 31st.
“We calling the office and nobody answering,” she said.
The now unemployed mother, along with her two of her colleagues, said they now don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
“Is cry I doh want to cry, god know my heart,” Joseph said.
“It real hard,” her colleague shouted in the background, as he made his way to the Social Development and Family Services building higher up the street to fill out a Rental Assistance Grant Form.
Across the road, one woman, who had just finished submitting her form, said she was thankful for the grant from the Government. Asked her how she was coping, she recited a Bible scripture from Chronicles 7:14.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
She then walked off.
At the St Vincent Street TTPost office, hundreds lined up from as early as 7 am with relief grant forms.
Before the office opened, the line stretched from the entrance to Queen Street as those in line practised social distancing and wore their face masks. People who were unsure about what was needed for sections filled their forms out in the line. Those with completed forms were able to submit and leave within minutes.
