15 April 2005

activadies sociales

Been a bit busy the last two days...so just dropping by tuh wish everyone a good weekend.

Yesterday spent most of the day in a meeting with an organization that I'm a part of discussing the upcomming year and the social projects we will take on for the year. What kind of fund-raising we will do and any other means we can find to raise funds for the various organizations. So yea, ah been doing muh lil part. It's amazing the amount of people out there in need of your assistance.

Today, I spent the day, at least the morning shopping for a food pantry. Now we at church decide that in the light of the recent devaluation of the currency, over 20% and the political upheaval of the past 2yrs, that we will start a food pantry to help those going through hard times in the congregeration. Well we put together our little funds and started giving out the bags of staple, rice, sugar, oil, coffee ect. The basics.

Now we have one or two homeless members that are a regular part of our congregation. Somehow, others seem to gather outside after chruch and solicit funds for a varitey of reasons...needing bus fare, medication, food, ect. Be it true or not, many of the men from the congregation, dig into their pockets and produce ah Bs 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 (Bs, 20,000 =@$US 14.00) so it's not a great deal of money. Well some of these same fellas and lady come back the next week with another request for funds and they do this for about 3 weeks until we catch on to them and their luck runs out.

Well the distribution of the food bag became word and they started showing up for a bag. At first we gave the bag, once a week, but realized that with our limited funds we couldn't do that. So we change to bi-weekly. Well word is out and now we have one person who comes for themselves, and then come the next time with friend in tow and freind comes with another friend and...lordeee..we got a line ah people waiting fuh bags and food that we doan really have.
The problem is, the bags were originally intended for church members only. Why would a homeless person want a bag of flour, rice and cooking oil for? We got a little problem there on our hands, cause we suspect that they are selling the items and buying drugs, alcohol, cigarettes ect. How you gonna look at a church and turning away a person in need.

So, to the quell a rising problem, we've decided to give the homeless a can of sardines and a pack of crackers and send them on their way. Label the bags intended for the members and change the distribution dates. Hopefully we can be successful in our little mission. So today we went food shopping for the month to help out our own. Life hard fuh some people yuh hear. So be thankful for everybit you have and if you have some extras, share them with the less fortunate.

In the meantime and in between time, enjoy your wekend be safe and remember It's all good.

hasta luego !!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dem have a style out here to come with a letter....usually with some hard luck story 'bout dem get burned outta dem house....nuh have no food nor clothes. They come into residential areas....Modda and the heap o pickney. Modda gives each child a 'scandal bag' and each one covers a road. (I have issues with sending pickney out pon street to beg...worse inna dem school uniform!) By evening they meet up again to gather the items gained in the day's 'shopping'.

I not saying that there aren't folks out there who genuinely need help, but too often dem tek as some Jamaican people would say 'disadvantage' of a situation. I prefer to mek donations of clothing to the Salvation Army, a church group or so.

You have a good weekend too. Dr. D.