George Henry, Gleaner Writer
MALVERN, St. Elizabeth:
THOUSANDS OF students and teachers from schools across the parish of St. Elizabeth are now benefiting from donations made by Food for the Poor in Malvern St. Elizabeth. The donations which are in the form of food items, farm tools, books and stationery supplies were presented to school representatives by coordinator for the charitable organisation the Rev'd. Vernon Kinkead, at his warehouse last week.
When The Gleaner arrived at the facility on Friday, scores of persons with happy faces were seen collecting bags of food items such as Irish potato flakes, used to make creamed potato, soy protein, rice, milk powder, beans and flour to take to the schools.
Farm tools such as machetes, boots, files, shovels, pickaxes and forks, as well as lanterns were also distributed to persons by the charitable organisation as part of the assistance being given to the schools and citizens from across the parish.
BENEFITS
Speaking to The Gleaner during an interview, Rev'd. Kinkead who has been coordinating the Food for the Poor programme in St. Elizabeth for a number of years, said over 200 bags of rice have been distributed to schools including basic, primary and high, since the shipment of items arrived at his warehouse last Tuesday. He also said tertiary institutions have also benefited from the goodies.
Rev. Kinkead pointed out that the items distributed throughout the parish will benefit a minimum of over 8,000 students as they seek to improve their feeding programme in the interest of their students and teachers.
"Every month Food for the Poor sends one or two 40-foot containers with items for the area and distribution is done from my warehouse. They are distributed with the help of an education officer in the parish," Rev'd. Kinkead said.
The Food for the Poor co-ordinator stated that although some schools may charge the students, the amount of money they pay for the meals is just enough to offset the expenses for other items schools may purchase outside of the donations they receive from his organisation.
SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
A teacher at the Brinkley Basic School in South St. Elizabeth, Ms. Novia Wright said the food and other items have been making a significant impact on the life of students at her school. She noted that students are now getting food in the mornings as well as during the lunch break.
Ms. Wright also said the effort being made by Food for the Poor has made her work easier as the students are much more focused and she, like other teachers, no longer has to take money from her pockets to purchase meals for students.
