The Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services (MPSDFS) took its social service delivery directly to residents of Penal/Debe and Siparia on Saturday, distributing Disaster Relief General Assistance and Home Repair Grants to 30 households across the two regions, benefiting 101 citizens in total.
The assistance, valued at TT$265,188.80, was made up of two components. Twenty-six Disaster Relief General Assistance Grants went to 89 people, totalling TT$210,437.80, while four Home Repair Grants supported 12 beneficiaries with a combined TT$54,751.00.
Speaking to recipients at the distribution event, Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services Vandana Mohit said the Ministry remains committed to ensuring families affected by disasters get more than just financial support, they also get the assurance that they aren’t recovering alone. She said the day was about restoring confidence in families who may have wondered whether anyone still cared, adding that when disaster strikes, no one should have to face recovery on their own, and that the assistance was meant to show that government remains present, responsive, and committed to helping people rebuild with dignity.
Minister Mohit said the Ministry’s approach is centred on bringing services closer to the people it serves, through continued community outreach and home visits designed to ensure assistance reaches those who need it most. She said the real measure of public service isn’t the number of reports produced, but the number of lives helped rebuilt, and committed to continuing to travel across Trinidad and Tobago to meet people where they are so that no family is overlooked.
Since taking office, Minister Mohit has pushed to expand the Ministry’s community outreach efforts, delivering disaster relief and other forms of social assistance directly to clients across the country. Officials say the approach is intended to provide timely, on-the-ground support that helps vulnerable households recover, rebuild and move forward with dignity.