Portland sub-forum elected

When Munier Hendricks was elected chairperson of the Portland sub-forum, he said he and his fellow members were honoured to be representing Portland and excited to work hand-in-hand with their local heroes, the neighbourhood watch, block committees and street watches.

“They are the real heroes, wearing yellow reflector jackets and not capes. They are the ones who know of those who need assistance, be it young or old.

“We salute those who leave their bed early in the morning to stand on the corners and who are late up at night, making sure we’re all safe. We want to work with them to keep our community safe,” he said.

They’re also looking forward to assisting the community with challenges and collaborating with schools, mosques, and churches, to name a few, for an improved way forward, he said.

On Saturday April 24, they held their first soup kitchen at Alliance Francaise hall in Portland with three pots of rice, beans and three pots of soup for the underprivileged. They handed out 130 plates of food and 100 cups of soup within an hour, he said.

“It was a heart-warming experience to see how people appreciate being helped with a little food which had some members close to tears. Our community is under a lot of strain, especially during Covid-19. This is one of many projects we would like to do over time,” said Mr Hendricks.

Their vice-chairperson, Anita Forbes, is a mother to everyone including homeless children, a care giver to all and ensures that everyone has a hot meal, said Mr Hendricks.

And he described secretary Luce-Lynn Fondling, “a lady of the community who is always willing to help with bullies and victims”.

“She is involved with school leadership programmes and helping the vulnerable children and associated with the Professional Football Association (PFA), Tackle Africa as well as Coaching for Hope,” he said.

Their plans for the community, he said, is this: “Let us not just treat the symptom, let us strive to heal the source of the problem – together.”