Volunteers from the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation handed out 100 bags of personal hygiene items to the homeless at the vegetable market in Frederiksted Tuesday morning. The event was part of AARP’s National Day of Service, which was founded 10 years ago in recognition of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Danyce Singleton, senior state director of AARP’s Virgin Islands chapter, said the day is an opportunity for AARP’s 40 million members to focus on the needs of their own communities.
She said that for staff members, it’s mandatory regardless of whether you work for the organization’s lobbying, charitable or service branch.
“This is the time when everybody gets together,” she said. “Nobody’s sitting at their desks today for AARP. You must go out and do something that’s community worthy.”
Singleton said the V.I. chapter decided to focus on serving the homeless because it felt they were a segment of the population that often slipped through the cracks.
“We’re really focused on our community,” she said. “That encompasses everybody, including the homeless.”
Singleton said that was especially true in the territory where it often falls to Virgin Islanders to take care of one another.
Dr. Cora Christian took time away from her birthday celebration to help distribute bags in the morning. She said she had worked with the homeless population before and that it was important to show respect to those living on the streets.
“One day we could be homeless,” she said. “You never know.”
Inside the bags were bars of soap, body lotion, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, T-shirts and towels.
“All useful things,” Singleton said. “Things we think they can use on an ongoing basis.
Singleton said the idea occurred to her last year at a service event at My Brother’s Table, a soup kitchen in Frederiksted. Seeing the state of the homeless, it occurred to her that there were already many charities on the island feeding the homeless, but very little was being done for their hygiene.
AARP members donated all of the items being distributed.
Joan Sackey and Cheryl Harley were two of the approximately 20 volunteers who showed up early to prepare the care packages. They moved up and down a row of red plastic bags placing folded hand towels in each.
Both said they were happy to come out, serve and remind the community that AARP is not just about lobbying and senior citizen discounts.
“The motto of AARP is ‘to serve and not be served,’” Sackey said. “So whenever we have the opportunity, that’s what we do.”
Singleton said similar events will soon be planned on St. Thomas and St. John.
