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Deputy Director of the National HIV/AIDS Commission, Lynn Armstrong,as she collected food and toiletry items in Speightstown for the HIV food bank on Wednesday, World AIDS Day.????

The National HIV/AIDS Commission (NHAC) has expressed satisfaction with the public’s response to the World AIDS Day drive-thru held on Wednesday to mark World AIDS Day. ??However, the Food Bank still needs the public’s support all year.

Speaking during the inaugural island-wide food bank drive and awareness campaign, an initiative which the Commission borrowed from the Ministry of Labour, Deputy Director of the NHAC, Lynn Armstrong, explained that they had not received as many financial donations as they were accustomed.??

"We are not in a position to provide hampers for our clients, and it was thought that if we made a drive-thru and asked persons to come out and donate, that might help ramp-up the donations to the Food Bank… There have been times when the food bank does go empty…

we understand why the food bank has not received the donations this year, we had Haiti, and more recently St. Lucia, but the reality is that we too have our HIV+ persons who we need to assist and make provisions," the NHAC Deputy Director emphasised.

Food Bank Manager, Donna Barker, who was on hand to receive the items collected during the drive, stated that the food and toiletries would help the close to 400 clients which the Bank served.??

Ms. Armstrong also pointed out that 2011 would see the Commission working more in the community, through collaborations with the Community Development Department, the Constituency Councils and HIV focal points in government departments.????lbayley@barbados.gov.bb

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