More funds needed to help at-risk youth

Article by PR

THERE IS A dire need for more funding to support rehabilitation programmes for at-risk youth in Barbados.

Chairman of Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS), Roger Husbands, in making this revelation recently, hailed a four-year long partnership between his organisation and KFC as a model of how corporate Barbados can assist.

Husbands made the comments during a visit to KFC’s Warrens restaurant where he met with marketing coordinator, Shekelia Barrow to discuss the fund raising programme and his organisation’s plans for outreach during this Christmas season and in the New Year.

“Our partnership with KFC over the past four years has provided approximately half of our budget requirements and really has been a fantastic opportunity for us to raise funds for the programmes. DECS is a non-profit organisation which survives on the goodwill of individuals, and it has been a tremendous blessing to have these donation boxes at KFC restaurants,” Husbands stated.

The outreach worker said while DECS did everything possible to maintain very low overheads, 2014 had been a very trying year with serious challenges in providing for expenses such as utilities, office, travel, counsellors, teaching assistants and so on.

“We really thank KFC’s management from the bottom of our hearts for the contribution that they continue to make to funding this very important work. Thanks also to KFC’s customers who have been so generous and continue to contribute to the cause.”

Husbands said DECS was now looking forward to the organisation’s annual Christmas feeding programme, while they also had plans for more promotion and public outreach in the New Year.

“What we want to do for 2015 is to increase promotion to the public so that people are more aware of what we do. Currently we have over 70 students enrolled in the rehabilitation programme, and we want to avail our services to more people who are in need. This will also entail us bringing more volunteers on board, and hopefully more donors as well,” Husbands said. (PR)