Mrs Prudence Charles-Phillip, Interim Executive Director of FSN (right), and Mrs Judith M. Charles (3rd from left), long-time volunteer at the FSN, were presented with the cheque by the Drakes Traders team at the hardware store in Fish Bay, Tortola on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

Drakes Traders Limited was founded by Dieter Esser in 1984, and is a leading supplier for home and commercial improvements and building materials in the [British] Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO/File

Mrs Prudence Charles-Phillip, Interim Executive Director of FSN, and Mrs Judith M. Charles, long-time volunteer at the FSN, were presented with the cheque by the Drakes Traders team at the hardware store in Fish Bay, Tortola on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

The gift matches the annual seasonal donation made by the community hardware store to the charitable organisation last year.

‘A sigh of relief’

According to a press release from Broadsword Communications today, December 14, 2023, the funds were received with the same depth of appreciation by Mrs Charles-Phillip and Mrs Charles as in 2022.

"This generous amount of money that we receive from you always allows us to breathe a sigh of relief," said Mrs. Charles-Phillip addressing Mr Christian Esser, Managing Director of Drakes Traders. "The cash outlays needed to meet the needs of our clients along with our monthly overheads, are hard to manage as the demands are always fluctuating based on the areas of support needed in any one month.”

Mrs Charles-Phillip explained that, besides the community pantry stocked by donations, the FSN’s supporting role extends from providing emergency shelter and food for individuals and families to counselling services and job placement support services.

Drakers Traders family believes in ‘compassion & action’- Christian Esser

According to the press release, Drakes Traders, a community-oriented business, is strongly aware of the areas of need in the territory and continues its long-term commitment to support the efforts of the FSN.

"The Esser family and, by extension, the Drakes Traders family, believes in compassion and action, especially in situations where the suffering is not of their own doing, be it health or domestic strife," said Mr Esser.

"While we make our annual donations, we are in regular contact with FSN to ask where we can offer assistance. Our guiding principles are based on a responsibility towards those who genuinely are not in a position to help themselves and who need a helping hand to get back on track."

The FSN, which serves clients in Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke, and Angada, provides mediation and advocacy support as well as assistance with food staples, clothing, emergency temporary shelter, and protection from domestic violence and abuse.