FIFTY-year-old Joan Ward looked on from her wheelchair with joy as her neighbours painted and bushed her home on Market Street in Denham Town, Kingston, last Thursday.

The woman, who has been wheelchair-bound for the past 13 years, smiled gleefully as the residents carried out the well-needed repairs on her home. It was their Labour Day project and a gift to a woman well-loved in the community.

“I am glad and I appreciate what they have done, it’s really good that they see my needs and decide to help out for free,” said Ward, who lost her ability to walk due to poor blood circulation.

“I have been living here over 20 years and I am really glad for the help,” she said.

Ward lives in a humble one room board dwelling, and despite the negative image that continues to haunt her community — especially following the security forces’ incursion in West Kingston in 2010 — her neighbours pulled out all the stops to help her. The project was led by representatives from Live Up Records, and was also supported by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

Dozens of persons, mostly men, bushed her yard and painted her house. Others, simply, showed up in support of those working.

Ward’s grandson, six-year-old Omarion Jones, a student of St Allman’s Basic School, also assisted with the activities. He was in high spirits.

“I love my grandma so me have to help her. So me glad,” offered the youngster, who seemed most happy that he got the day off from school.

The volunteers said their efforts were not for publicity, but that they had a genuine desire to assist the elderly woman.

“We just reach out naturally because persons like this need help,” said Andrew Coke, CEO of Live Up Records.

Health, Safety, Security and Environment Officer, Al Pilliner, also shared Coke’s view.

“I’m glad to see Live Up records giving back to the community. Residents were surprised to see the help,” he said, looking around at the large gathering that had turned out to participate in the sprucing-up activities.

In the meantime, Oneil Coke, another member of Live Up Records, said it was his desire to see people move on with their lives following the incursion, and added that the day’s activity was one of many undertaken in the affected areas. It was also aimed at uplifting the youths, he said.

“We have done projects in the basic school and we gave assistance to the Operation Friendship Basic School and we’re looking out for our youths. We want to empower them. I am looking forward to working with the Social Development Commission to influence a positive change in the area,” he said. He said initiatives like these better served residents than if they were to ask the authorities for handouts.

The residents expressed joy upon the arrival of the Jamaica Observer news team. They said that while the events of 2010 are “unforgettable” they appreciated that the media also focused on positive events in their community as opposed to only focusing on the negatives.