Needy residents in some of St James’ toughest inner-city communities have been gifted with over $5 million worth of care packages from the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI).
The distribution, which was done through the chamber’s ‘Love thy Neighbour’ initiative, was aimed at the poor and the elderly, reaching some 1,200 households, and included food, sanitisers and toiletries. It also brings to a total of $8.5 million, the organisation’s response so far to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Chairman of the ‘Love thy Neighbour’ Committee, Reverend Everton Jackson, said he could not recall seeing this level of appreciation, as was demonstrated by residents on receipt of the packages.
“It was something to behold… something that was so touching that we as volunteers couldn’t help but be visibly moved,” he explained.
“These are very difficult times for everybody, and so a gesture of this magnitude will go a long way in easing some of the pressure and stress that many of these households and communities have been experiencing,” he added.
Jackson said the chamber, in particular, should be commended for spearheading the initiative, adding that in times like these, the spirit of volunteerism has to be one of the shining examples in communities across the country.
He said while the packages can only reach so many persons for now, the goal is to get more contributions from other entities so even more residents can be accommodated.
“This is all about love and solidarity… of reaching out to those who are in need so as to let them know that they are not alone,” Jackson added.
For his part, MBCCI Director and lead of the ‘Love thy Neighbour’ committee, Chumu Paris, said the experience of distributing the care packages to those who are truly in need has been astonishingly rewarding, to the point where “I wished I could just keep going on where everybody could be accommodated”.
He added that “What we have been seeing and have been experiencing are persons who have been badly affected from the COVID-19 fallout… from an economic standpoint.”
“We are seeing persons who have lost their jobs, and thus their ability to earn. We are seeing the poor… the vulnerable and the elderly… and who are all very grateful for the assistance.”
Paris said in order to ensure that the packages got into the right hands, the committee recruited the services of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI) and the Child Development Agency (CDA) to assist in identifying needy households, and also to provide oversight over the distribution of the items.
He noted that the situation is made easier when the community leaders are involved, as they can ensure that the persons who are in need the most are given first priority, and there is full transparency, with everything being accounted for.
Paris said while the chamber is grateful to all its contributing members, “it would be remiss of me” not to acknowledge Rosh Marketing’s Rosh Ramchandani, who gave 50 per cent of the goods, valued at $2.2 million
Other entities/organisations/individuals involved in making the distribution possible, included: Sarah’s Children, Madden’s and Dovecot, Barnett Estates, Whitter Group, Wayne Cummings, Winston Lawson, Consumer Plus, Top Mart, Rainforest Seafoods, the Tourism Linkages Network, and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
Some of the communities visited included: Norwood, Flanker, Salt Spring, Melbourne, Rose Heights, Retirement, Hart Street, Providence Heights, Sign Irwin, Rosemount and Farm Heights.
