Various parishes under the Anglican Diocese of Tamale and needy persons in communities where the Diocese operates are to receive personal protective equipment (PPE) and food items to keep them safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The items included 12,050 locally-made face masks, 616 pieces of 200ml of hand sanitizer, 135 bags of rice, 180 bags of maize, 20 thermometer guns.
The items would be distributed to parishes and some needy persons in the five regions of the north.
The Anglican Diocese of Tamale procured the items with support from the Trinity Church, Wall Street, and Episcopal Relief and Development, based in the United States, which respectively donated 15,000.00 dollars and 3,000.00 dollars towards the effort.
Right Reverend Dennis Debukari Tong, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale, handed over the items to the Dean of the Diocese for onward distribution to the parishes and the needy.
“This is our contribution as a Church towards the communities in which we operate,” he said. Right Rev Tong said the support was a way of expressing concern for the people within the Diocese.
“When the pandemic broke out, as a Diocese, we were concerned about our people and the people that we minister to within our parishes,” he said. He said the items were for the vulnerable and those who were hard-hit by COVID-19 in the communities. “We have identified the needy amongst us in the Church and in the communities to give these items to,” he said. “We are also looking at the food support because people, who were making a living; because of the pandemic, they could not continue with the businesses that they were doing. So, they need support, and we have identified a few people to also give them the rice and the maize to support them with their food needs.” He said COVID-19 was real and advised the citizenry to obey the safety protocols, saying “It will help us to overcome this pandemic so that very soon, by God’s grace, we will return to normalcy.” Very Reverend Clement Azure, Dean of the Cathedral, Anglican Diocese of Tamale, who took delivery of the items for onward distribution to the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the donors for their support to the Church.