The Home of the Elderly at Mapuifagalele received donations of goods and cash from the Congregation Christian Church of Samoa in Apia.

The members of the Apia congregation visited the aged care facility at Vailele on Sunday afternoon to present their donation and provide entertainment to the delight of the residents.

The donation of cash and kind, which was made to the Little Sisters of the Poor, marked the first time for the Apia EFKS youth to assist the Home of the Elderly.

In an interview with Samoa Observer, Rev. Latu Lata stated that their visit marks the beginning of their charitable endeavour to help the elderly in compliance with their church's target, particularly the youth's commitment to serving others with love and prayer.

"This is the first time we’ve visited Mapuifagalele to offer help in terms of assisting the needs of the people,” he said.

“The funds we provided came from the money we gather each Sunday, which we then combine with the goodwill contributions made by each member.

“We hope to support and assist Mapuifagalele, and I believe it's beneficial for the youth to be present and involved in this.

“Although it’s not much and given that this is the first for the Apia youth, we intend to do this every year or anytime we can so that  we can give to them for their meals in a day.”

The donated goods included wholesale items such as bags of rice, boxes of milk and chicken, bags of flour and sugar, and varieties of fresh produce.

"We do more than just contribute food and money; we also come to deliver a spiritual message to the elderly.

“We know that they live away from their family so we hope our donations and the message we deliver encourages them to lift up their faith and make them feel like they are home.” Rev Latai added.

The residents of Mapuifagalele were delighted by an evangelical dance and songs conducted by the EFKS youth group as part of the visiting group's entertainment.

Speaking on behalf of the aged care facility, Sister Lucy Kallungal expressed gratitude to the visiting EFKS Apia congregation and the youth for the donation.

“It’s truly heartwarming to see them come. Some of them share stories about caring for their old, which gives us more strength and courage to carry out our duties," she said.

“Everyone in Mapuifagalele calls this place home and we welcome anybody on the street. God's love and mercy are shared by people of all races and religions.

“We are so grateful because all of these donations (food and money) will help our elderly with their daily meals and the variety of goods they brought in are healthy foods for them, so again we are thankful and blessed.

The Little Sisters of the Poor established the Mapuifagalele Home of the Elderly in Vailele in April 1975. With the assistance of five sisters and over 30 assistants, the home presently provides care for 44 elderly people.