- The initiative includes implementing eight projects to improve quality of life for the municipality's most disadvantaged groups.
The City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Fundación Cepsa will collaborate on eight social programs through a partnership agreement aimed at improving quality of life for the municipality's most disadvantaged sectors.
The presentation of this initiative at the local government headquarters was attended by the Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez; the Vice President of Fundación Cepsa, Íñigo Díaz de Espada; the Councilor for Social Action, Rosario González; the Director of Fundación Cepsa, Cristina Ortiz; the Head of Corporate Relations for Cepsa in Andalusia and the Canary Islands, Jesús Velasco; and the Head of Fundación Cepsa in the Canary Islands, Belén Machado.
The mayor emphasized that this agreement “will enable third-sector groups, the closest to the needs of citizens, to offer a far more immediate response than the public administration can provide.” He thanked Cepsa and its foundation "for being a brand linked to Santa Cruz for 100 years, having established the most important industry in the Canary Islands in the last century. In recent years, Cepsa's relationship with the city has changed, and its foundation is a key player in the social development of our municipality. The agreement we are signing today is the best proof of this.”
For her part, Belén Machado explained that the projects “will focus on the city's most vulnerable population, including everything from direct action to educational activities, as well as care for the disabled and the elderly.” This initiative “joins the numerous social actions developed in recent months by Fundación Cepsa and is yet another example of the commitment we have been showing to the needs of the community for decades.”
Eight social projects
The foreseen actions include developing the community psychosocial transformation project “Faro,” which will be implemented by the Asociación de Acción Sanitaria, Social y Educativa Giro. Through this initiative, a direct assistance program will be offered to children, teens, young adults, people with moderate mental illnesses and families at risk, or in situations of social exclusion, in the Southwest District. Among this program’s special features is the incorporation, as key players, of minors in situations of risk or neglect, as well as young people who are performing community service and have already completed juvenile detention programs at CIEMI Valle Tabares.
The project will also support the 'Nino y Nina' program, launched by Asociación Prevenir and aimed at children, pre-school and primary school teachers and families with needs arising from the pandemic. This initiative will focus on training educators, through families and teachers, to promote safe, healthy behaviors in children. To this end, it will encourage them to learn basic skills for healthy development.
The agreement signed this Tuesday by the City Council of Santa Cruz and Fundación Cepsa also covers a social action project called “No person without dignity,” which will be implemented by the NGO Sonrisas del Suroeste. It aims to help the most disadvantaged persons gain access to hygiene and minimum food by supplying basic necessities.
Another initiative will be a food drive at Christmas, promoted by the Compartir Canarias Solidarity Telethon. This program aims to promote the solidarity of the citizens of Santa Cruz with the families most in need.
Another of its objectives is to assist the Food Bank of Tenerife with the acquisition of a refrigerated truck for the transport of perishable fresh food.
In the area of inclusion, the project “Dispacint, a dream factory” is focused on developing socio-educational and recreational activities that favor the inclusion of people with diverse physical and mental abilities. In this case, the focus will be on physical, cognitive and social self-care. Participants will benefit from a cognitive stimulation program in Mathematics and Spanish Language. The program also addresses other aspects related to psychomotor skills and the development of occupational dynamics. Additional activities will be offered to encourage self-awareness, personal autonomy, teamwork and social skills, among others.
Finally, the agreement will also help cover the operating expenses of Asociación de Mayores Flores del Teide, marking over a decade of assistance to this group.