A gives back to the elderly

He explained that in his community of Bog Walk, people have come to his door for help.

“That is why it moves me, to not just do it as me and my family, but to have [the entity] registered and have more people like myself take part,” he explained. “Guyanese or not, I would still be doing it.” The outreach organisation was registered in 2014, but Samuels explained that it is an extension of a charity group which was founded in 2005 under the United Nations Association in Jamaica.

Samuels said he and the members of that charity group decided to start a new organisation that would allow them to focus on issues determined by them, as they were the ones who would be funding those efforts. He said the group decided to focus on helping senior citizens and shut-ins in Bog Walk and surrounding environs, through a weekly soup kitchen that provides meals every Wednesday as well as monthly home visits to the elderly individuals, which also includes the provision of meals and carrying out regular grooming.

HELP Outreach Foundation Limited also has an annual senior citizens’ treat at Christmastime and a health and legal fair, where they can access free medical checks, medicine and legal advice.

“Everybody is for themselves. Everybody is fighting for themselves and everybody is looking out for themselves, and that is a big problem,” Samuels said.

He said his group is doing its part and comprises of people who are not wealthy but are simply doing what they can because of their passion for reaching out to others and commitment to helping.

“Throughout the years there are days when we feel that this is going to be it, but through commitment and a will to proceed and to move forward, that is why we are here today,” Samuels said, adding that the group also gets support from community members.

In the meantime, he said one of the greatest needs for the group is a motor vehicle as it is unable to provide meals to people in some areas.

The president said there are some communities that the group has not visited in a while, because when they started he was using his vehicle to transport meals but because of work obligations in Kingston, he is unable to continue.

“The need in the community is great, and if we who are able don’t reach out and touch a life and help somebody, well then… without outreach like this, we would all be blind,” Samuels said.