~Organizers are planning to honor Cassandra Gibbs legacy.~
PHILIPSBURG:--- The I Can Foundation that was established by Cassandra “Debby” Gibbs will close its doors at the Dutch Quarter location as of December 31st, 2019, this was confirmed by Cynthia Filemon of SJIB. Filemon said that the St. Maarten Development Fund had to cut the subsidy for the I Can Foundation for the year 2020 but provisions were made to allocate funding for a structured children’s home since one is needed.
The department is currently busy with internal discussions and other stakeholders that are willing to take on the challenge of having a home for foster children. The children that were at the home were sent on vacation for the upcoming Christmas holidays while some will remain with their immediate families next year and others will be housed with foster parents.
The I Can Foundation had six children at the home since the passing of Cassandra Debby Gibbs on July 19th, 2019 with six employees all of whom were paid by St. Maarten Development Fund, however, the board members of I Can Foundation were not able to bring the foundation under control while operations at the home went out of control and downhill. SJIB held meetings with some board members that responded to the request for meetings and they were asked to restructure the home and bring it up to par to no avail.
The building that housed the I Can Foundation over the years belongs to Debby’s only son who asked that the building be vacated by December 31st, 2019 simply because the foundation was not managed properly and Debbie’s legacy went downhill since her passing. I Can Foundation was not paying any rent or even maintenance of the building since the founder of the I Can pass away suddenly.
Chevin Flanders, heir of Gibbs property told SMN News that he tried effortlessly to get the board members of I Can Foundation to meet with him to no avail. Flanders said that since his mother’s passing, he told the board members that were reachable that he wanted to honor his mother’s legacy and he wanted to ensure that the foundation is functioning properly. He said the foundation was operating under a conflict of interest since one of the board members had her mother working for the foundation even though she is well over pension age. “I tried my best to meet with the board members in order to restructure the foundation so it can be managed properly but the board members refused to meet. After not meeting with the board members I told them verbally that since they cannot pay rent then they must vacate the building. Recently the treasurer told me that he was moving from the building and wants to take whatever belongs to the foundation with him. I then informed him that I Can Foundation is Debby Gibbs and since the I Can Foundation cannot function then whatever the foundation owns must remain at the headquarters.
Flanders further explained that the children were not treated correctly and were even denied food as disciplinary measures. “This was not how my deceased mother treated children and since I could not get the board members to take responsibility to manage the foundation in accordance with the law I had to give them notice since they were not paying any rent, or maintaining in and around the building."
Cassandra Debby Gibbs established the I Can Foundation in 1996 after the passing of Hurricane Luis. The foundation has been serving the underprivileged children for the past 23 years.
