Court Shamrock Centre for the Socially Displaced has completed refurbishments of its night shelter thanks to contributions from the Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Foundation. Court Shamrock Centre is a non-profit, male-only shelter that serves as home to several men in the area. The now completed refurbishments included replacement of the roof, construction of a wall, the purchase of beds and kitchen appliances, minor bathroom renovations, and painting internal and external walls. Gloria Coombs, Manager at Court Shamrock, extended thanks to the Foundation for funding the long-overdue upgrades which makes the shelter a more comfortable environment for residents.
The organisation received the funding through a TT$50,000 grant as part of the Digicel TT Foundation’s ‘Better Together’ initiative, as well as an additional TT$49,000 donation to assist with building upkeep. The Foundation also donated gently used men’s clothes and TT$5,000 worth of vouchers for food supplies. The impact of the donations went beyond monetary support, though. Residents were able to gain a sense of accomplishment as they assisted with refurbishment duties. One resident shared their experience stating, “We enjoyed working on this project. What was outstanding for us is that for the first time in our lives, we completed something and this was one of the biggest accomplishments for some of us.”