President Dr Irfaan Ali said the art of giving must not be seasonal but must be a way of life as he appealed to Guyanese to contribute to the Salvation Army’s Annual Kettle.
During the launch of the event on Friday at the Georgetown Club, President Ali led by example and made the first contribution of $1.5 million.
“Giving is about moving someone positively. So, it is not based only on material things… and that is what is good about the work of the Salvation Army; it is not only about the Christmas Kettle; it is a way of life; it is giving every single day in different ways; it is lifting humanity in different ways, and that is why giving is an art and giving is a way of life.”
BRIDGING THE GAPS
The President noted that a small contribution can be a big help to people who are in need.
“What you do here today is not a simplistic thing as just putting a donation into the kettle… what you do is an important part in bridging the gaps that exist in our society. What you do today requires a societal approach.”
Organisations like the Salvation Army, the President added, help to bring the “societal approach” to the way things are done. He said that stakeholders, including the Government; corporate entities, religious and civil societies; communities and families have to play their part in bridging the gaps.
The annual Christmas Appeal helps to meet the needs of the less fortunate through the provision of food, shelter, rehabilitation and much more.
Joining the President were representatives from the Salvation Army, including the Chair of its Advisory Board, Mr Edward Boyer, as well as students from several high schools.
The Christmas Kettle is a traditional initiative to raise funds to keep the Salvation Army’s humanitarian work going. It is done annually throughout the world at Christmas, having first started in 1891 to assist those in need.
Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army, Major Matignol Saint-Lot expressed that the Christmas Appeal is even more needed at this time, having seen an increasing demand to help people. This has been a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in grave economic hardship across the world.
“After the severe hit of COVID-19 in the past two years, the demand to help others has been rising daily. The Salvation Army is seeing an increased demand from people in need due to the scars of COVID-19 and the rise of the cost of living in the whole world. The Christmas Kettle Appeal 2022 is now more important,” the Divisional Commander relayed.
