CORONACASH APPEAL

The 2020 original

Back when the pandemic was making its debut, we issued a #CoronaCash Appeal to help us step up to meet the additional pandemical needs of just a few of the world's 11 million+ detainees.

We raised just £500 but it was enough to enable us to launch a new work, feeding detainees held within police stations in Olongapo City and the surrounding Zambales region of the Philippines. We did it because, quoting our medical director, ‘In times of calamity, it is the most restricted patients who face the greatest peril’. Yet as the pandemic rumbled on, our little feeding initiative grew and grew…

FOOD

In many countries across the world, police detainees are fed by visiting relatives rather than the detaining state. But the pandemic has restricted poorer families’ funds for feeding their incarcerated loved ones. And anyway. lockdowns prevented many from being able to take food to police stations.

We have been able to prepare thousands of fresh, nutritionally balanced meals and deliver them piping hot to countless hungry detainees.

PERSONAL CARE

Needy detainees living in communal cells have great need of personal care items. We’ve been able to supply soap & flannels, toothpaste & toothbrushes, and sanitary wear to every one of our detainees who has need of them.

Social services

So many incarcerated women spend their days behind bars fretting about their children who may be free but who are not safe. For example, one police detainee told us that she had had to leave her two young boys and two even younger girls with their greatgrandmother who lived on a rubbish dump where children were at risk of sexual exploitation. Immediately we investigated and took compassionate action, as we try to do whenever we become aware of such cases.

Spiritual care

We believe that spiritual nourishment is as important as physical nutrition and medical care. Detainees who wish to can hear our staff talk about God’s love for them. We give them a specially designed leaflet that explains the Christian message in a way that makes sense to detainees. We sing together. And we pray with and for them.

CHRONIC DISEASE MEDICINES

Life behind bars is no picnic for anyone, but it’s so much worse when you’re chronically ill. We’ve been able to re-establish medicine supplies to those who can’t manage without them.

TELEMEDICINE

But often chronically ill detainees need a medical review, and new medical issues - ranging from skin diseases to infections such as tuberculosis - also crop up behind bars. Lockdown has made it extra challenging for detainees to go out for medical assessments. And so instead, thanks to the wonder of Zoom technology and the kind permission of the police colonels, we were able to introduce a telemedicine service to each police station we serve.

The 2021 edit

Sadly though our commercial funding streams, which used to fund all our humanitarian endeavours, have dried up and succumbed to the virus. And so, for the first time in our almost ten-year history, we have no choice but to launch a general funding appeal.

We need to raise £100,000 (that’s around 135,000 US dollars, 117,000 euros or 7,000,000 Philippine Pesos) a year to keep Team Integritas alive & kicking across the world.

Ask and it shall be given unto you. (Matthew 7:7)

Ways to help

Bank transfers

The most efficient way to donate to us is by bank transfer (BACS), which attracts no fees. If you choose to use this option, please label your gift ‘Coronacash’ and it would also be great to get an email from you so we can write and thank you.

• Sterling account:-

  • CAF Bank Ltd

  • account name ‘Integritas Healthcare CIC’

  • account number 00022229

  • sort code 40-52-40

  • swift code CAFGB21XXX

• Philippine Pesos account:-

  • Philippine National Bank

  • account name ‘Integridad: Heart for Detainees Inc.’

  • account number 205970004522

Other ways to help

And we’re always interested in hearing from people who’d like to do sponsored events and other fundraising activities for us. We can provide publicity, speakers and other materials for events so please get in touch.