 Government continues to provide social protection to the poor and vulnerable, particularly amid the impact of COVID-19. In February 2021, the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment distributed 400 food packages to beneficiaries of the Child Disability Grant and Persons Living with HIV AIDS. This initiative constitutes part of the government's recovery and resilience strategies that form part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry is grateful for the level of collaboration with its corporate private sector partners to date and is particularly appreciative of the generous donations received. A check of 45,630 Eastern Caribbean dollars from the National Community Foundation went towards the purchasing of food items for distribution to these 400 vulnerable households island-wide. Protecting the poor marginalized and most vulnerable of the population remains a priority for the Government of St. Lucia and while the challenges are beyond small developing states like St. Lucia, it remains resolute in its efforts as it continues to implement programs such as these.