Erica James-King, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE CRUELTY meted out to the street people in Montego Bay close to five years ago has prompted a Jamaican Cancer Research Scientist and an American religious group to lend a hand to the street people outreach programme in the resort city.
On Thursday, they donated a combined $600,000 (US $10,000) worth of appliances and personal items to the street people programme in addition to pledging full support for a feeding programme.
Dr. Victor Brown, a cancer research scientist with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in handing over the donations, said that he was jolted to action by the 1999 atrocities suffered by the street victims.
He pointed out that after reading about the abduction and carting away of 32 Montego Bay street people and their subsequent dumping in St. Elizabeth, he felt obligated to assist in whichever way he could.
"It pained my heart to read about the suffering the street people had to endure when they were forcibly taken off the streets, and I decided I wanted to do something to better their lives, and the lives of other homeless persons," Dr. Brown told The Gleaner on Thursday.
In 1999, in what became known as 'the street people scandal', 32 persons were picked up from the streets of Montego Bay and dumped in a remote area in St. Elizabeth. To date, no one has been convicted in what has been described as one of the "darkest days in Montego Bay's history."
DONATIONS
Among the items donated by Dr. Brown and the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church from Tennessee, USA, are: clothes, toiletry, food, bibles and two washing machines. Dr. Brown is also an Assistant Pastor at the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church. His group also hosted a special afternoon feast for homeless persons who visited City Spirit on Thursday.
Dr. Brown, who was born in Montego Bay, says the gesture was just "the beginning of a positive trend."
"The people at my church are very excited about extending a hand to other people in need in Montego Bay," he said. "In fact, my pastor has given us a mandate to become involved in the life of a church and a school in this town, with a view to assisting them in whatever way we can."
In the meantime, both the Mayor of Montego Bay, Noel Donaldson, and Inspector of Poor for St. James, Jeremiah Dehaney, who were on hand to receive the gifts, expressed pleasure at the generosity of the Jamaican Cancer Research Scientist and the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
"The donations will certainly fill a big need in our efforts to help the poor and destitute of this city," said Mr. Dehaney at the handing over ceremony, which was witnessed by a handful of clients of City Spirit Centre, some members of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist, staffers from the poor relief department and the media.
He said the washing machines would be used at the recently opened Refuge of Hope Night Shelter for the homeless in Albion St. James, while the clothes and toiletries would be divided among those who use the City Spirit Centre, as well as those who use the Night Shelter.
Currently, City Spirit feeds some 70 homeless persons per day, while 12 persons have been using the Night Shelter on a daily basis. The night shelter ,which was established by the St. James Parish Council to the tune of $1.5 million, was opened to the public in December last year.
