Food For the Poor (FFP) Jamaica aims to build 100 houses for Jamaicans desperately in need of shelter by year end, through its annual 5K Run/Walk event scheduled for May 13.

The event will raise well-needed funds for the construction of the houses.

At the launch of the 5K, held on April 4 at the Spanish Court Hotel in St Andrew, chairman of FFP Jamaica Andrew Mahfood announced that the charity intends on constructing 100 more houses.

“When you hear us say that we want to build 100 homes, that’s just a drop in the bucket. We need to build 10,000 homes, because there are tens of thousands of Jamaicans who we have seen and are now on our waiting list who are desperately in need of homes,” Mahfood said at the launch.

Mahfood strongly believes the goal of constructing 100 houses from the upcoming 5K event will be achieved and would be equal to the total number of houses built from the event since its inception in 2015.

Prior to the launch, National Baking Company Foundation, NCB Foundation and RE/Max Elite committed funds to construct eight houses, two houses and one house, respectively.

At the launch, it was announced that more organisations have committed funds to construct houses. They are: Jamaica Public Service Company, which will construct two houses; Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), which committed to constructing two houses; CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, committing funds for one house; Black Ink Marketing & Events Solution Limited, also committing funds for one house; and Running Events, which will construct one house.

It was also announced that Rainforest Seafoods now has a promotion where $50 from purchasing their products will go towards the cash they will donate to FFP Jamaica.

Immediately after this announcement, two of the people living in St Catherine who are on FFP’s waiting list for homes, Berris Mighty and Annette Higgins, were informed that the houses CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank and Black Ink Marketing & Events Solution Limited committed would be given to them.

Higgins, vendor and mother of six, whose fathers are deceased, cried tears of joy when the announcement was made.

“Thank you! Sometimes it seems that I wouldn’t make it with the challenges I have been through as a single parent. I am so much appreciative from the depth of my spirit. I thank Food For the Poor and their donors,” Higgins said in an interview.

Mighty had similar praises to offer.

“I feel good about it, enuh. That now help me a lot. My things will stop spoil, like my clothes when the rain falls. Mi try, but things get bad when mi foot did bruk some years ago and mi lose mi job from a fowl farm weh mi used to work. Then mi start sleep on the road and get piece a land to live on and use bamboo to build up something to live in,” Mighty said.

FFP Jamaica hopes to assist 98 other people like Higgins and Mighty.

Registration for the 5K event is open and can be done online via the link foodforthepoorja.org/#5k-event. Entry fee payments can be made at any Paymaster location with the vendor code Food For The Poor Jamaica and account number 9845005.

People and organisations who are interested in contributing a house or funds towards the construction of a house, can do so by contacting the 5K’s secretariat through email at secretariat@foodforthepoorja.org. The 5K Run/Walk will take place in St Andrew on Saturday, May 13 at 6:00 am.