Cupid is First Caribbean’s Unsung Hero finalist

Forty-five years of dedicated service finally paid off for Lauders resident Veolant Cupid, whose dedication and commitment to her community led to her being named the First Caribbean International Bank’s 2008 finalist for the Unsung Heroes Programme.{{more}}

Cupid was announced as the Bank’s selection for the regional finals at a dinner ceremony on Tuesday evening at Government House.

The 61-year-old mother of four, who has fostered dozens, was selected from a field of a record 30 nominations by a seven-member committee.

Cupid began her service to her community at age 16 when she learned and taught sewing skills to other women in her village.

Over the years, she has been involved in more than a dozen community based and national programmes, including floral arrangement and home management for young women, adult education and literacy, Vacation Bible Schools, pre-schools, appreciation services for police, teachers and nurses, and arranged visits and ministry to the Lewis Punnett Home, the Mental Health Centre and Her Majesty’s Prisons.

Currently, the home stay host of one of the newly sworn in Peace Corps Volunteers, Cupid, who claimed to have vaguely heard about the Unsung Heroes Programme, said that she was surprised to be nominated for such an award, and even more surprised to be named the finalist.

“When I do what I do, I don’t do it expecting a reward. If there is someone in need, I just help them. My thing is to help people. I find joy and satisfaction in helping people whether they are young, middle aged or old.”

Acting Country Head of FCIB Elroy John announced that in being named this year’s local finalist, Cupid receives US $6,000 for her cause, and for someone who has done almost every good deed under the sun, Cupid still has ideas that she is eager to share.

“I would like to set up a day care for the elderly,” she informed. “A place where persons can drop their parents and grandparents off when they have to go to work, and pick them up at the end of the day.”

“Elderly people have a lot of interesting things they can share, and they will have the company of other people their age group.”

If she wins the regional leg of the programme, Cupid will earn another US $7,500 towards that dream.

Throughout her years of work, Cupid has had the support of Martin Cupid, her husband of 41 years, and her children: Rashawn, a member of the United States Marine Corps, Keshawn in the US Navy, Martin Jr who works in the food distribution industry in Florida, and Wendy Langlais, an Insurance agent in Atlanta, Georgia.

The FCIB Unsung Hero is in its sixth year and St. Vincent and the Grenadines has had three regional winners.

The regional committee will meet on October 27th to select a winner, with the announcement to be made in November.