Minister Melissa Skerrit extends wishes on International Day of Elders, highlights their contributions

Dominica: Minister of Housing Melissa Poponne-Skerrit extended her best wishes to the elderly on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons. In her social media message, Minister Melissa emphasized the importance of acknowledging the contributions of older generations to the foundation of today's society.

“The accomplishment of our elder generation is the foundation upon which we all build our futures,” she wrote. 

The Minister of Housing highlighted the importance of ensuring that the elders receive all sorts of love, care, and respect that they deserve as she wrote, “Without them, there would be no us.”

She also shared a glimpse of her helping the elders as she was seen feeding one of them and talking to others. The pictures seemed to be from her visit to an elderly home, where she likely spent time with them.

It is to be noted that she also runs a foundation named Melissa Skerrit Foundation, which she established in 2016. The foundation has since then spearheaded several initiatives in order to promote healthy living, wellness, and ease of access to all the marginalized groups in Dominica. 

The Minister of Housing is often involved personally in the charity work she does under her foundation and is hence well respected and recognized among citizens for this work. 

The Melissa Skerrit Foundation works to provide services to Dominicans in various sectors in order to support the growth and resilience of Dominica’s population. The Key areas of support include educational support, health and wellness projects, and Poverty Alleviation.

Under these focus areas, the foundation provides support in the form of scholarships, school supplies, health programs, wellness activities, and community development through support programs. This helps create fruitful opportunities and minimize disparities among the population. 

Some of the major initiatives that have been led include an Elderly Care Program, a Back-to-School Scholarship, a school feeding program, a Bless a Baby program, and many more.