The Cabildo, through the area of Social Action, Citizen Participation and Diversity, has awarded the NGO Sonrisas del Suroeste 130,448 euros of subsidies aimed at strengthening the associative fabric. Thanks to this aid, the entity will be able to cover the expenses derived from its work in social and community care for 450 families – twice as many as before the pandemic – in the Tenerife Metropolitan Area.
The Minister of Social Action, Marián Franquet, and the Minister of Participation, Nauzet Gugliotta, visited the NGO’s facilities in Santa María del Mar, accompanied by the president and founder, in 2014, of the entity, Nelson Concepción. During their visit, they were able to verify the work that the volunteers carry out thanks to the aid they receive from both public institutions and private companies and other collaborators.
Franquet points out the importance of subsidies that help people with the greatest needs. “We have to recognize the work of these types of organizations, which, above all, after the pandemic, have had to make an even greater effort,” he explains.
The counselor remembers that the user’s profile has changed. Thus, she underlines, “now there are workers who have lost their jobs and even those who, even with work, do not have the necessary resources and depend on aid.”