After having their roof blown off this Wednesday by a tornado, the affected Chase Village family was paid a visit on Saturday by Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox and members of the ministry’s management team.
She was accompanied by Deputy Permanent Secretary, Vijay Gangapersad, the Directors of the Ministry’s National Social Development Programme and National Family Services Division. She started with Khadene Beharry-Crowe's family at Ragoonanan Road West, Chase Village, as their house sustained the worst damage.
Beharry-Crowe along with other family members expressed gratitude to the ministry for the support.
She said the Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation came on the day of the incident, Councillor for Perseverance/Waterloo Dubraj Persad also came and said he was working on sending a truck to clean up on Tuesday.
The family was also offered counselling which will be facilitated by the National Family Services Division of the Ministry.
Cox said "Besides the hampers, there are food items for the children, two food cards valued at $500, so they can buy groceries. What is important is that we have our support teams involved in the issuing of household grants. From what we see here today, we will be able to assist them with a grant for the roof, a grant pertaining to household furnishings and also to assist with the rewiring of the home as the whole roof is gone."
She said under the ministry's Minor House Repairs grant the family can access $20,000 for a disaster, Electrical House Wiring grant $25,000 maximum, and the Sanitary Plumbing grant up to $15,000.
Cox said if the family had to relocate temporarily to affect repairs to their home, the ministry will try to give them rent assistance for at least three months.