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PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Omar Ottley congratulates the Department Head of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs. Chantale George - Groeneveldt, and the staff for their hard work and dedication in reopening the Gaston Boasman Community Helpdesk for the Elderly & Disabled in the HOPE Estate.A soft-opening to mark the reopening of Gaston Boasman Help Desk for the Elderly & Disabled and Womens Desk took place on Friday, May 27th at 2:30 pm at HOPE Estate. The reopening of the Help desk was celebrated in the presence of dignitaries, stakeholders from Elderly groups, and Womens groups. At the re-opening a plaque & photo in honor of Mr. Gaston Boasman was unveiled, the philosophy of the Womens Desk logo and a painting by differently-abled Albert Arndell.Unfortunately, the Help Desk was closed as a result of damages sustained during the passing of hurricanes Irma & Maria in 2017. Assistance for the repairs and expansion came from funds received from the Dutch government to the tune of Fls 253,000.- through the Sint Maarten Development Fund. The building was expanded by approximately 54 square meters with a concrete roof and 46 square meters of a covered open concrete space for recreation and outdoor activities, with expansion possibilities. Works began on 26th November 2018 and were completed by mid-2019; however, due to many unanticipated events and the COVID-19, CDFHA was unable to provide services to the public since the completion of the works.Currently, the Help desk boasts a small conference room, 3 office spaces that can be used for individual and groups counseling and sessions, a kitchenette, outdoor guest restrooms to be used during outdoor activities, 2 restrooms inside, one especially for the elderly and disabled, and one for staff and a storage room. The Gaston Boasman Help Desks & Womens Desk is one of 4 Help Desks and a specialized one, managed by the Department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs. With the new expansion, the Department will be able to run more programs and projects on-site and provide meeting space for NGOs and community organizations. CDFHA would like to thank everyone who has contributed significantly to making this a reality.The Help Desk will be opened to the general Public from Monday to Friday as of June 6 from 8:30 am -12:30 pm. The Help Desk's purpose is to bring diverse services, projects, and programs closer to the local community.Services offered would be: - Basic Counseling- Case Management - Assisting with filing Social Services forms - Dissemination of information - Empowerment programs and information sessions- Assisting the Elderly with accessing services via the internet- Provide a space for NGOs to offer their services to the target group
