Family in dire straits needs your help
HELLO MI neighbour! To say the least, the recent conversation with Yvonne from Manchester was phenomenal. Will share that conversation with you in the very near future. Before I move on, however, I’d like to ask a few questions.
Why would a woman leave a well-paying job, without knowing where the next meal was coming from, to dedicate her life to caring for poor and helpless people who cannot contribute a dime to their upkeep?
Why would a single woman, in this society, take the risk of picking up a total stranger (off the road) with mental problems, take him to her home, bathe him, give him clean clothing, give him food to eat around her table, then offer that crazy stranger accommodation free of cost for an indefinite period? No answer?
Okay, try this one: Why would this person, who is no fool, build an eight-bedroom house out of her pocket and furnish it with no assistance from government, etc, then go and call the disposed, deaf, blind, and dumb to be its temporary residents – until they can be reunited with their families? Sounds like fiction? Hmmm.
Last question for now: Do you think that a Jamaican woman who grew up in abject poverty, left school at an early age, became homeless three times, had a bad marriage and was abused several times in many ways could be this person? We’ll find out next time.
In the meantime, I invite you to occupy your time with the text message below from a neighbour on behalf of another neighbour.
“I am the lady who called on behalf of the lady with kids and one in the belly. She was on family planning but still got pregnant and is willing to carry it. Now the child’s dad ain’t working. Police took away his bike because of no insurance and licence. He was still using it to make bread for the family. Well sir, nothing is coming in and she has no baby clothes for the newborn (boy). The 15-yearold girl and 13-year-old ain’t going to school now because they have no tablets and they never got any from the government. The fouryear-old is not going to school either. They all need help as food has become a major issue for all of them. Is there anyone who can assist with newborn baby (boy) clothing and food for the other three?
“Is there anyone that can assist with tablets for the kids to go online? The big girl is doing CXC next year and she has no tablet. Please to assist this family. They are urgently in need of your help. You can come and see them. They have so many needs, but these are the most important ones.
“Please help as best as you can because only God knows how they are going to manage. These people need a home makeover. As I said, there is much more, but I gave you the more important part for them. You can contact them on this number 1876... . Anyone who wants to come and visit is free to come and see the situation for themselves. God bless you all.”
God bless you, too, neighbour. I know that you are doing your best to help and hope that every reader will donate to this neighbour in such dire straits
THANKS TO DONORS
1. Nataya, New York, for assistance
2. Jinel, St Andrew, for offering household items
3. Neighbour, St Catherine, for clothing
4. Natoyer, St Andrew, for donation
KINDLY HELP SOMEONE FROM LIST BELOW
1. Brother Moses, St Catherine, accident victim, needs help with food
2. Old soldier, St Andrew, needs a bed
3. Neighbour, St Andrew, is asking for a wheelchair
4. Miss Gray, Kingston, in need of a bed
5. Isolyn, St Thomas, asking for a radio
To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 334-8165, 884-3866, or deposit in acct # 351 044 276 NCB. Alternatively, send donations to HELLO NEIGHBOUR C/O 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; Paypal/credit card: email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.