The Festa ta’ Ġenerożità in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza is being held once again on January 1, the home's director Fr Martin Micallef and administrator Nadine Camilleri Cassano announced this week.
The fundraiser will also be broadcast on the main television stations from 10am to midnight. At 9.30am, TVM2 will broadcast a mass from the home’s chapel celebrated by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna.
Next year, Id-Dar tal-Providenza will be celebrating 60 years since its foundation. Fr Martin said that throughout these years, the home has offered permanent residency to 270 persons with disability, as well as many others who needed respite services.
The home always offered personalised services of quality to the residents, services that respected their rights and dignity. This was only possible with the continued support of the Maltese and Gozitan people, he said.
He also announced that the home will be launching a strategy for the coming years to deinstitutionalise its core operations in line with the principles envisaged in the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with disability, by offering more residential services in the community and other support alternatives according to the person’s wishes.
Fr Martin also spoke about the work being done at the home including the completion of the refurbishing project of four flats in Villa Papa Giovanni. Work has been completed in one of them and the second will be finished early next year. He said the home continued to invest in human resources, including employment of professionals, ongoing training of its employees, purchasing of new equipment, maintenace work and other projects aimed at improving its services.
The Siġġiewi home currently needs around €7 million per year for its operation.
Camilleri Cassano, the administrator of Id-Dar tal-Providenza, spoke about the various fundraising activities taking place in December leading to New Year’s Day and how the public can help.
Donations can be made with immediate effect up to January 1 in various ways (see below). These donations will be included in the final sum that is announced at the end of the New Year’s Day telethon.
For donations of €15, call 5170 2013; €25 on 5180 2014; €50 on 5190 2085; and €100 on 5130 2022. One can SMS a donation of €7 on 5061 8922.
Donations can also be made by Paypal and other accounts that Id-Dar tal-Providenza has with the main banks: APS Bank, BOV, HSBC, Lombard Bank and BNF Bank.
Donations via BOV Mobile and myAPS Payment to Mobile (P2M) can be made on 7932 4834.
Moreover, individuals can send in their donation of more that €20 by cheque made to Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Triq Lapsi, Siġġiewi, SGW2822. Kindly note that according to a directive by the Central Bank of Malta, cheques smaller than €20 will not be cashed by the Maltese banks.
Other donations can be made at the Id-Dar tal-Providenza office in St Paul Street, Valletta, (behind the market) open Tuesdays to Saturdays between 9am and noon, at the Paola Catholic Bookshop, as well as in the Rabat (Malta) square in the days leading to Christmas and January 1.