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From despair to delight
Food For the Poor builds new homes for Sandy victims
BY COREY ROBINSON Sunday Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, December 09, 2012
A month ago Hazel McLean sang praises to God in front of the rubble that was left of her house flattened by Hurricane Sandy's monstrous winds. Last Thursday, she did the same, this time in front of a brand new home provided by Food For the Poor.
It took eight workmen from the charity organisation roughly seven hours to erect the one-bedroom board structure outfitted with a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. To the workmen it was just another job, but to the elderly woman it was a gift from heaven, delivered by angels responding to her plight.
Hazel McLean is a picture of joy as she shows the keys to her new home (in background) that was constructed by Food For the Poor last Thursday. McLean’s board house was flattened by Hurricane Sandy’s heavy winds in October.
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"What you want me to say now, young boy?" asked an elated McLean, again welcoming this reporter to her home in Greenwall district, near White Horses in St Thomas. "How me feel? Lawd, I can't tell you," she said, chuckling, glancing back at the structure, the smell of freshly cut wood hanging in the air.
"Me feel alright, man, me feel good, 'cause the rain nah wet me again and the sun nah bun me. So me nuh just alright," she said with a laugh. "I just give God thanks. God made it possible for me and I just give Him thanks for everything that was done.
"And the persons who help me, I am so thankful for them; thankful everlasting. Because the Lord just blessed me with them. I gave them encouragement and they gave me good encouragement so I'm extremely happy," she said.
Cautiously navigating pieces of wood left behind on the ground, McLean spared no time in exploring the inside of her new home, striking poses at areas of interest such as her bathroom and shower.
Finally, after some 20 years, the 79-year-old did not have to go outside to bathe or relieve herself. And it made her laugh harder.
"Me like it, it is so nice," she said, gingerly stepping into the narrow shower.
Much of McLean's furniture and appliances were destroyed by the category one hurricane. However, that didn't stop her from laying out in her mind where things would be. To her, just like her new house, furniture was among the list of things "the Lord will provide".
McLean's granddaughter, Landola Mitchell — with whom McLean lived following the destruction of her home — was both happy and saddened by the erection of her grandmother's new house.
"I was just getting so used to her company," Mitchell said behind a wry smile, as she reminisced on late-night conversations and happy memories they shared over the last month.
"We don't have TVJ or cable, so some night we would just sit on the verandah and communicate through the night; we just talked," Mitchell explained, adding that McLean's cheerful spirit made the tight space they shared seemed lighter. "I am missing her already."
Mitchell said the Sunday Observer was the first media house to visit their home after the hurricane, and that the newspaper's coverage on October 28 fostered much assistance from concerned readers.
"In spite of everything, God is in control. And we just want to thank all of the people who called us and everyone who stopped by to see how we were doing. It just shows that when Christ is in the vessel, you smile at the storm," she said, adding that the family's destroyed farm, located near the premises, was "coming on each day".
Junior Reid, Food For the Poor's housing field officer for St Thomas, said the organisation started rebuilding houses on Tuesday and that McLean's house was among the first four which had been rebuilt. The painting crew turned up to McLean's house during the Sunday Observer visit.
According to Reid, at least 55 houses were scheduled to be erected in St Thomas.
"That is for my area here in St Thomas. In Portland, we have another 71 that will be erected," he said. "We wouldn't mind if we could finish putting up all of them by tomorrow, but as you see, we are moving fast. We getting there."
Reid explained that the houses are set up by teams of three; one set of men lay the base and plumbing, while another cut and fit the board structure. When that is completed, another team paints the structure. Reid said each of the houses is fitted with bathroom facilities. However, it is up to the residents to sort out their own electricity.
"We don't go that far; they will have to take on that," he said.
There was similar joy in the community of West Albion, St Thomas, where two of the other Food For the Poor houses had been erected.
Beverley Walters — whose house was almost destroyed by Hurricane Sandy — celebrates her 31st birthday today, and she plans to use the day to move into her new home.
"That's what I am going to do, that is how I'm going to spend my birthday," she said with a laugh as she toured her freshly painted home. "Sandy did us bad, so I am really glad for this house today. I love it."
For Junior Brown, another recipient who lived on the opposite side of the community, his Food For the Poor house meant he would no longer live with the fear of being injured, or worse, losing his life. Since Hurricane Sandy, Brown has had to use a stick to prevent one of the walls on his old house from collapsing.
"Me nah tell no lie, I feel joy over it and I give thanks because things could have been worse," he said.
"The whole of the other house leaking; as you can see I have to put tarpaulin on the house top because the whole of it is leaking," he added, pointing to the derelict structure.
"If you look you will see that this entire wall is falling down. It was dancing in Sandy. Right now I have to use a piece of stick to prevent it from drop down. Is it cotch it up," explained the father of five children who said he, his wife, and offspring shared the premises.
Brown's neighbour praised Food For the Poor, commending their efforts in caring for less fortunate Jamaicans.
"Mek I tell you something; if even one person from Food For the Poor run for election he would get majority of the votes. Is nuff things dem do for poor people and we have to love and respect dem for that," he said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2EYP56PGu
Food For the Poor builds new homes for Sandy victims
BY COREY ROBINSON Sunday Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, December 09, 2012
A month ago Hazel McLean sang praises to God in front of the rubble that was left of her house flattened by Hurricane Sandy's monstrous winds. Last Thursday, she did the same, this time in front of a brand new home provided by Food For the Poor.
It took eight workmen from the charity organisation roughly seven hours to erect the one-bedroom board structure outfitted with a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. To the workmen it was just another job, but to the elderly woman it was a gift from heaven, delivered by angels responding to her plight.
Hazel McLean is a picture of joy as she shows the keys to her new home (in background) that was constructed by Food For the Poor last Thursday. McLean’s board house was flattened by Hurricane Sandy’s heavy winds in October. 1/5 "What you want me to say now, young boy?" asked an elated McLean, again welcoming this reporter to her home in Greenwall district, near White Horses in St Thomas. "How me feel? Lawd, I can't tell you," she said, chuckling, glancing back at the structure, the smell of freshly cut wood hanging in the air.
"Me feel alright, man, me feel good, 'cause the rain nah wet me again and the sun nah bun me. So me nuh just alright," she said with a laugh. "I just give God thanks. God made it possible for me and I just give Him thanks for everything that was done.
"And the persons who help me, I am so thankful for them; thankful everlasting. Because the Lord just blessed me with them. I gave them encouragement and they gave me good encouragement so I'm extremely happy," she said.
Cautiously navigating pieces of wood left behind on the ground, McLean spared no time in exploring the inside of her new home, striking poses at areas of interest such as her bathroom and shower.
Finally, after some 20 years, the 79-year-old did not have to go outside to bathe or relieve herself. And it made her laugh harder.
"Me like it, it is so nice," she said, gingerly stepping into the narrow shower.
Much of McLean's furniture and appliances were destroyed by the category one hurricane. However, that didn't stop her from laying out in her mind where things would be. To her, just like her new house, furniture was among the list of things "the Lord will provide".
McLean's granddaughter, Landola Mitchell — with whom McLean lived following the destruction of her home — was both happy and saddened by the erection of her grandmother's new house.
"I was just getting so used to her company," Mitchell said behind a wry smile, as she reminisced on late-night conversations and happy memories they shared over the last month.
"We don't have TVJ or cable, so some night we would just sit on the verandah and communicate through the night; we just talked," Mitchell explained, adding that McLean's cheerful spirit made the tight space they shared seemed lighter. "I am missing her already."
Mitchell said the Sunday Observer was the first media house to visit their home after the hurricane, and that the newspaper's coverage on October 28 fostered much assistance from concerned readers.
"In spite of everything, God is in control. And we just want to thank all of the people who called us and everyone who stopped by to see how we were doing. It just shows that when Christ is in the vessel, you smile at the storm," she said, adding that the family's destroyed farm, located near the premises, was "coming on each day".
Junior Reid, Food For the Poor's housing field officer for St Thomas, said the organisation started rebuilding houses on Tuesday and that McLean's house was among the first four which had been rebuilt. The painting crew turned up to McLean's house during the Sunday Observer visit.
According to Reid, at least 55 houses were scheduled to be erected in St Thomas.
"That is for my area here in St Thomas. In Portland, we have another 71 that will be erected," he said. "We wouldn't mind if we could finish putting up all of them by tomorrow, but as you see, we are moving fast. We getting there."
Reid explained that the houses are set up by teams of three; one set of men lay the base and plumbing, while another cut and fit the board structure. When that is completed, another team paints the structure. Reid said each of the houses is fitted with bathroom facilities. However, it is up to the residents to sort out their own electricity.
"We don't go that far; they will have to take on that," he said.
There was similar joy in the community of West Albion, St Thomas, where two of the other Food For the Poor houses had been erected.
Beverley Walters — whose house was almost destroyed by Hurricane Sandy — celebrates her 31st birthday today, and she plans to use the day to move into her new home.
"That's what I am going to do, that is how I'm going to spend my birthday," she said with a laugh as she toured her freshly painted home. "Sandy did us bad, so I am really glad for this house today. I love it."
For Junior Brown, another recipient who lived on the opposite side of the community, his Food For the Poor house meant he would no longer live with the fear of being injured, or worse, losing his life. Since Hurricane Sandy, Brown has had to use a stick to prevent one of the walls on his old house from collapsing.
"Me nah tell no lie, I feel joy over it and I give thanks because things could have been worse," he said.
"The whole of the other house leaking; as you can see I have to put tarpaulin on the house top because the whole of it is leaking," he added, pointing to the derelict structure.
"If you look you will see that this entire wall is falling down. It was dancing in Sandy. Right now I have to use a piece of stick to prevent it from drop down. Is it cotch it up," explained the father of five children who said he, his wife, and offspring shared the premises.
Brown's neighbour praised Food For the Poor, commending their efforts in caring for less fortunate Jamaicans.
"Mek I tell you something; if even one person from Food For the Poor run for election he would get majority of the votes. Is nuff things dem do for poor people and we have to love and respect dem for that," he said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2EYP56PGu