On Monday May 31St 2010 was a historic day for the Dorothy Hopkin Centre for the disabled, the commissioning of the New Wing built by the Republic Bank (Grenada) Limited,. The evening began with an invocation by Father Iraneous Vincent, OP- in his opening prayers Fr. Vincent prayed and thanked God for all who helped and worked for the Centre. Mrs. Barbara Calliste then gave her opening remarks she gave a synopsis of the History of the Home from the original Kennedy Home to the present, she reminded us of the journey that has taken place over the years, the trying and difficult days of the then Kennedy Home, the strides made over the years to build the present Dorothy Hopkin Centre and the additional efforts to get this new extension with the help of the Republic Bank. The new addition we will enable us to house 16 more residents posing new challenges such as staffing etc. Sister Mary Francis Nelson in her remarks made a very strong point stating that without Mrs. Barbara Calliste as head of the Board we would not be where we are today, as their working relationship goes back to the days of The Kennedy Home and she could attest to the fact that she has what it takes to make a success of whatever she undertakes.

Mrs. Philomena LaQua made a musical rendition of Diana Ross's "Reach out and Touch" a most appropriate song for the occasion.

Mr. Keith Johnson the Managing Director of Republic Bank (Grenada) Ltd. in his address said he was happy to report that one of the corporate responsibilities of the bank is the" power to make a difference" and that the programme was geared to making positive changes to the lives of the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The total amount he stated contributed by the Bank for the new building is $563,000.00 and that they were very happy to have been associated with the project and was pleased the final outcome this being their biggest project to date. Mrs. Jennine Sylvester Gill make a few remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development as the Minister and Permanent Secretary was unable to attend. Our in house Choir entertained the gathering by singing a Medley of Songs which were well received.

At this point a few officials were asked to proceed to the New Wing for the official cutting of the Ribbon which was done by Lady Glean and the unveiling of the plaque by W. Keith Johnson. Father Iraneous Vincent then proceeded to bless the New building and on returning to the gathering Patrick Roach a resident of the Centre made a Poetic Recital contribution titled "Heavens Child", a vote of thanks was made by Ms Maureen Strachan the Centre Manager, this was followed by some closing remarks by Mr. Hugh Dolland, Director of Republic Bank (Grenada) Ltd. All were then invited to share in some refreshments and guided tours were offered to those interested in doing so.

The Republic Bank Angel Harps Steel Orchestra provided background music for the afternoon.

Claire Dolland - Recorder

We started as the Kennedy Home located at Richmond Hill many years ago. Given the many challenges, particularly the need for more space, the management of the home, with much foresight relocated to this present site thirteen years ago. From the onset, our initial building was inadequate as more space was immediately needed. However given our limited funds, we had to scale the project consistent with our meager resources. We focused on getting started, settling down and delivering a much needed quality service.

Prior to Hurricane Ivan in 2004 discussions ensued with Republic Bank about deepening their support for our institution. Our need became more urgent after Ivan when our building was damaged and many more physically challenged individuals around Grenada were displaced. At that time we were only able to accommodate thirty five persons comfortably.

It is at this juncture, that the Republic Bank demonstrated their true philanthropic character. They immediately offered to build accommodation for sixteen more residents bringing our total capacity to fifty.

This was facilitated under their "Power to make a difference Programme", a programme that has been making a tremendous difference in the lives of many communities around the Caribbean.

Our new wing, in addition to accommodating an additional sixteen persons, will house a pharmacy, doctor's office, washrooms, a TV room, an Art room, a new kitchen and a laundry room. These facilities will greatly enhance the level of comfort and functionality of the centre.

It should be noted that the addition of this new wing cost in excess of half a million Eastern Caribbean dollars. Given all this, I am sure you can appreciate why we have decided to call this addition the "Republic Wing of the Dorothy Hopkin Centre". At this centre, our objective is to maintain a caring, happy environment that residents can enjoy. With a committed staff under the direction of Ms Strachan we have been coping. All attempts are being made to enhance their skills and knowledge through the attendance at available courses and training in relevant areas locally. Importantly, we have been collaborating with the TAMCC to expose some of their students with practical training in caring for the physically challenged.

With our new addition, we will require about six additional staff which we cannot currently compensate. In this context, we are looking forward to a positive response from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment to access the use of young persons in their programmes to assist.

Now that we have completed the building, we need to furnish it. I now take this opportunity to make a national appeal particularly to the business community and all nationals to donate appropriately. We need to create a homely atmosphere for our residents.

Ladies and gentlemen, the numbers of our physically challenged in our society are growing. The provision of adequate care, requires increasing resources. As a result I wish to make an appeal for increased public and private attention and support for this venture.

Given the fact that our home caters for residents between the ages of two and eighteen ,a major gap exists. There is a need for a home to serve nineteen year olds and above. I look forward to such a facility in the future ,it will require the vision and efforts of a few patriotic, dedicated and committed individuals to make this happen .I will also require the deliberate support of the business community philanthropic effort like the republic bank demonstrated. So I urge concern Grenadians to rise to the challenge. It is often said that good barometer of a mature and good society, is the way the elderly and challenged are treated. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to end by expressing our gratitude and thanks to all those who have contributed to making this project a reality. Specifically I would like to again thank the Republic Bank for their generous contribution and support to the DHC.

We are indeed grateful for your assistance.

I thank you