THE Westmoreland Association for Street People (WASP) recently launched its ‘pledge card’ fundraising project during a monthly meeting at the Anglican Church Hall in Savanna-la-Mar.

According to chairman Barbara Stewart, the money raised will go towards establishing a half-way home for the parish’s street people.

WASP is in partnership with the Westmoreland Parish Council to raise at least $1.5 million to complete the refurbishing of the building, which has already received a facelift. The plans are, that while the parish council will shoulder most of the refurbishing costs, WASP is expected to furnish the facility and take care of all operational expenses.

The completion of the project requires the fitting of windows and doors, plumbing and electricity. Work is expected to be completed in another two months.

The project is already a year old but the pledge card project just launched is expected to run for another year. And during the recent meeting, WASP appealed to the public for support.

The project’s long-term goal is to offer homeless people who roam the parish’s streets a facility where they can become engaged in meaningful activity.

“While at the shelter, the tenants will be exposed to activities like counselling, mediation, hygienic and occupational therapy,” Stewart said.

She added that they would be exposed to skills training with a view to helping them earn a livelihood and become self-sufficient.