The community drive, according to Joe Aitaro, Chairman of OMUB, was OMUB’s answer to Dr. Sylvia Osarch’s of Geriatrics Department from the Ministry of Health call for help to raise awareness about the situation of some homebound patients in the country.
“Some of the families are not able to support their elderly patients,” said Aitaro. “There are homebound people in Koror that really need help.”
Aitaro shared that there are some old ladies who live off social security and don’t even have decent housing. “So we hope that this can raise awareness, at the same time raise funds for them,” said Aitaro.
Aitaro and other volunteers from OMUB set up tents at PCC parking lot and Mindszenty High School parking area, and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., they stopped motorists and asked for donations in cash and in kind.
They also left huge boxes at Surangel and Sons and Payless for people to drop donations, non-perishable and personal hygiene items.
According to Aitaro, their goal is to raise funds that will help with the homebound patients’ needs for about a month to give family time to recover financially so they can go back and support their elders.
Another fundraising is set in early September.
