Meet Rock River’s ‘Mother Teresa’
Woman shuts down cook shop to dedicate efforts to helping seniors
DECEMBER 21 will be the third year that Rosie Taylor, 61, will be hosting her annual pre-Christmas dinner for senior citizens in her community of Rock River.
This year, she said she would be taking it further afield, inviting members from the neighbouring Clarendon communities of Simon and Tanarky.
The passion behind her outreach every Yuletide season is a calling she received from God, the good Samaritan told The Gleaner.
“I was in America in 2012, and I heard the voice speak to me, ‘You got to build a church,’ three times. I woke up and went to my sister and asked if she spoke to me, and she said no,” recalled Taylor, referencing an account uncannily similar to the biblical narrative of Samuel and Eli.
She said she returned to bed and received a divine mandate to build the church. She said she heard the answer as clear as day.
“Lime Hall, and the church, is to help old people,”God instructed her, Taylor said.
Taylor disclosed that while she has already acquired the land, she is yet to build the church. But that hasn’t slowed her mission as she later shuttered her community cook shop to focus on charity initiatives.
“Running the shop was not allowing me enough time to visit and interact with the seniors and not enough time to assist them, so I took the decision to close it,”she told The Gleaner.
Taylor said that many admire her community work even referring to her as ‘Mother Teresa’. A minority, she said, think her crazy to have ploughed her personal resources into giving to people of all ages.
“I have my husband’s support 100 per cent. Sometimes I have to ask him for money, and my children are very understanding of the work I do.
“In fact, my son is involved in the charity work as back-to-school and Christmas (time), he assists in sourcing toys,” she shared, though admitting that the giving away of toys would not be part of this year’s project.
As she looks forward to the big day next week Saturday, Taylor is also taking time out to thank her team of volunteers, particularly a Nurse Johnson from Chapelton, who she says has provided great help.
Taylor is also grateful for the input from Food For The Poor, which plays a key role in her outreach ministry.
Commenting on the challenges of charity, Taylor says she has no plans to slow down.
“It entices me to do these things for the old people. It gives me a joy I cannot describe. It is challenging at times, but I will keep at it because it is my calling,” she said.