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Friday, March 29, 2024
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VITEMA Staff Plays Santa for Kids at Queen Louise Home

Santa arrives at Queen Louise Home. Santa Claus paid a visit to the children at Queen Louise Home for Children Friday. He didn’t arrive by sleigh and reindeer, Fireman David Clark brought Santa in a shiny red V.I. Fire Services fire truck with sirens blaring and lights flashing. The children at the home stood by the door with their little faces pressed against the glass, eagerly waiting to see the jolly old elf.

“The kids always enjoy the season and look forward to a visit from Santa,” said Dianna Arthurton, co-director at the home. “They definitely enjoy getting gifts. And we are grateful to the organizations that give the gifts. This is awesome what VITEMA did for the kids today.”

The staff of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) St. Croix office organized the arrival of Santa and gave gifts to 14 children at the home. The St. Thomas Emergency Communications Center will be giving gifts to the children at Nana Baby Children’s Home.

“VITEMA employees figured this is a time to give to the community,” Denise Lewis, manager of Emergency Operations Center, said. “People only think of VITEMA during emergencies and hurricanes. VITEMA employees want to let people know we care about the community.”

Ninafe Awong, manager of St. Croix Emergency Communication Center, said they gave the gifts to the children instead of the center’s staff gift exchange among themselves. “The idea to give to the community came from the 911 dispatchers,” Awong said. “The home provided us with the kids’ wish list and each one of us adopted a kid from the list.” They got basketballs, makeup, clothes, iTunes gift cards, games and educational toys.

Shanavia Martin, 911 operator, said they realized the economy is tough and the kids might not get as much as they have in the past so they wanted to help out.

“Giving and making the children happy is what the season is about,” Martin said. “This kind of giving is a double gift. This gives kids pleasure and it gives us a good feeling.” She said she gets goosebumps thinking about the joy the kids get. She added next year organizers hope to do even more for the children.

Arthurton said the community has been very generous this year and there is more to come when Gov. John deJongh Jr. visits the children on Jan. 4 before he goes to the children’s carnival parade.

The V.I. Council for the Arts donated tickets for the children to attend the Junior Calypso competition and Pan Fest during the Christmas Carnival. Alliance Management in Frederiksted is hosting a Christmas party for the children and the Hurricane Hunters gave donations to the home.

Jim Kloss, a psychologist at the Department Of Human Services, played Santa Claus.

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