HSBC Malta Foundation has donated €5,000 to the St Jeanne Antide Foundation in order to help the NGO cover some of the costs and shortfall in funding which occured as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

The foundation has now reopened its service sites and is once again offering direct support to vulnerable families. These services were being offered remotely.

Caroline Buhagiar Klass, head of human resources and corporate sustainability at HSBC Malta, said: “The HSBC Malta Foundation is supporting the St Jeanne Antide Foundation because we recognise its essential role in providing support to families dealing with poverty and social exclusion. Thanks also to our support, the fantastic staff and volunteers at the foundation continued to reach out and offer support to 511 individuals from 273 vulnerable families throughout the COVID-19 crisis.”

Nora Macelli, CEO at the St Jeanne Antide Foundation, said: “The HSBC Malta Fondation’s donation is a lifesaver for many vulnerable families we support, many of whom are doing their utmost to return to work after caring for a mentally ill relative, dealing with domestic violence or dealing with new challenges in areas like childcare and housing created by the pandemic, while at the same time struggling with financial difficulties. I cannot thank our staff and volunteers enough for their commitment to working collaboratively and with passion for the well-being of those who are struggling. We also thank all those people and organisations, like HSBC, who continue to support our work.”

The SJAF is a registered social purpose non-profit organisation. It is the social care services arm of the Sisters of Charity of St Jeanne Antide Thouret. Its overarching aim is to provide professional support services to very vulnerable individuals and families who are suffering due to challenging life circumstances and those who are sliding into poverty and are socially excluded.

Between March 13, when SJAF started operating remotely, and the end of June, the foundation accepted 158 new cases of families in difficulty. Additionally, between its practitioners, it continued to support around 215 other families referred before that.

For more information about St Jeanne Antide Foundation’s services, visit https://www.antidemalta.org/, or their FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/SjafAntideCentre/.