Cabinet has approved an initiative to give homeless and vulnerable people in St. John’s access to showers, clothing and hygiene supplies, Cabinet spokesman Maurice Merchant said Thursday.

A donor has committed to providing a portable shower unit for the programme, which will be coordinated by PDV Caribe Antigua and Barbuda Ltd. in partnership with the soup kitchen and the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross.

Speaking at the post-Cabinet briefing, Merchant said the initiative aims to improve the health, hygiene and dignity of vulnerable people living in and around the capital.

PDV Caribe will provide logistical assistance and hygiene supplies, while working with its partners to facilitate access to showers and clothing.

Merchant said the organisation recognised the need for an avenue to care for people who are homeless, describing the effort as a way to exercise humanity toward those in difficult circumstances.

He explained that PDV Caribe’s assistance would operate on a small scale and would serve homeless individuals who are not necessarily experiencing mental illness.

The initiative is separate from arrangements being developed for a facility at Seaview Farm, which Merchant said is being retrofitted to accommodate people with mental illnesses.

Cabinet also approved the transfer of Crown land east of the St. John’s Fire Station on Factory Road for a new PDV Caribe headquarters. That development is expected to include a permanent refuge for vulnerable people.

The headquarters remains in the planning stage, and Merchant said no construction timeline has been established.

No start date, operating location or schedule for the portable shower service was announced during the briefing.

Source: Antigua News Room Portable Showers Approved to Help Homeless People in St. John’s.