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Mustard Seeds founder pleads for help after $15-m fire
Patrick Foster
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
FOUNDER of the Mustard Seed Communities, Father Gregory Ramkissoon, is appealing for assistance after fire Monday night gutted a home housing HIV-infected children on North Street downtown Kingston.
Yesterday, lamenting the damage estimated at $15 million, the Roman Catholic father said that neither the building nor its contents were insured.
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"Everything is completely destroyed," Ramkissoon said. "We need clothes, shoes. I am making a public appeal for assistance," he told the Observer. "We need help".
At the time of the fire, the home accommodated 30 HIV-inf*ected children between two and 12-years-old monitored by two caregivers.
"We had 17 girls and 13 boys, they are all okay," Ramkissoon said.
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| RAMKISSOON... everything is completely destroyed |
"Thank God it was not greater. None of the children were hurt, but one caregiver had her leg broken," he added.
Earlier reports on the scene Monday night were that two children were hospitalised, however, yesterday Ramkissoon confirmed that a caregiver was the only one taken to hospital.
He emphasised that the assistance given by residents of surrounding communities was the reason there were no casualties from the fire.
"I want to stress an important point," said Ramkissoon, "the community surrounding us, the youngsters there they deserve a hero's award. They saved the children."
Yesterday, the York Park fire station said that they were uncertain about the cause of the blaze as investigations were being conducted to ascertain its origin.
Children from the devastated home are now being housed at Mary's Child home for pregnant teens, the Matthew 2540 home and the Dare to Care home, Ramkissoon said.
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