WHEN the Hillside Primary and Infant School Community Outreach group arrived on Sports Road, Friendship, Islington in St Mary, on Friday, December 16 with care packages for the elderly in need of assistance, gratitude permeated the air.

The care packages, according to the school’s Acting Principal Marika Campbell, were made possible as a result of the generosity of staff members, parents, Food For the Poor, and others.

In total, 93 gift bags were distributed in the communities of Baccasswood, Nutfield, Sportsroad and Roadside.

“It is a joint venture. We started very small with our students, just going in the community and helping our shut-ins to clean, and then it has grown. This year Ms [Pam] Hyatt from Connecticut, she came on board so it’s a little bit bigger than we are used to,” Campbell said, explaining that Hyatt purchased food items from a local store and donated them after learning about the group’s efforts.

She added that the group, which has been operational since 2017, was unable to have its outreach event in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she said they were able to hand out packages in July 2022 after parents, suppliers, and Member of Parliament for the area Dr Morais Guy contributed.

When Byron Forbes was presented with the care package he made it known how thankful he was.

“I give thanks. It make my heart brighten up,” Forbes said as he held on to the bag while supporting his weight on his crutches.

At the same time, 82-year-old, blind, and smiling while expressing his gratitude was Raymond Beckford who said, “Well I am feeling thankful for the package.”

But a tear unexpectedly rolled down his face and he told the Jamaica Observer that he was feeling “sad because my wife died”.

Beckford explained that his wife of 52 years was buried on December 10.

Meanwhile, speaking on the outcome of the event, Campbell said, “We were very appreciative because it can only get better. With the more help we get it is going to grow bigger [and] we can reach more persons. We’re a small school, we don’t have much, but if we get additional help we can reach more persons.”

Sharing what was in the packages, retired registered midwife and member of the community outreach group, Iris Murray said, “We are talking about proper nutrition — the only thing we don’t have in there is vegetables and fruits. But, we have protein, we have starch, we have every little thing. We have toiletry articles — toothbrushes, bath soaps, washing soaps, bath rags.”

Furthermore, she said that each group member received a list of people the packages were for, but they were also given extra packages for those they might have seen who were not on the list.

“We realised the last time that we went, those persons we had on the list, we found more persons in the community who are needy so we try to do extra. I have a list of 18 [people]. I’m going to four areas but I get 20 [bags] so I’ll find two other persons who are really not on the list and give it to them,” Murray stated.