This initiative will allow us to keep the children in our feeding program, and their families, from going hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support will be provided for 150 families to purchase essential items through accounts we've created in partnership with a local store.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and restrictions imposed by the government, our normal operations have come to a halt. The greatest impact of this is on the children who rely on our feeding program; the daily meal we provide is often the only one they will eat. Their caregivers are typically street vendors who do not earn enough to care for their families. This type of "employment" has now been eliminated, meaning meager earnings are now non-existent. We need to keep our children from starving!
The Bienvenido Project has partnered with a local store to create customer accounts for 150 families in Bienvenido. Every month, funds will be deposited equally into these accounts allowing families to purchase essential items as needed. To ensure funds are not used to purchase vices, a list of items excluded for purchase has been created. We've also created a verification system that cannot be replicated to protect each family's account.
This initiative will help keep the children in our project from going hungry. While we wish we could look at this as a short-term problem to solve, the truth is the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to last much longer than any would like. We've designed this project to function so social distancing can be practiced; a long-term health benefit to all. And because it operates out of a grocery store, not our project, it should remain a reliable option if a mandatory quarantine is ordered.