Buoyed by success stories like that of a man who was previously jobless on the streets after suffering a mental breakdown following a crash in which his family perished, Portland Rehabilitation Management Homeless Shelter has launched a GoFundMe account to raise US$45,000 to expand and keep its operations going.

The shelter, headed by rights advocate Carla Gulotta, is dedicated to supporting homeless individuals and those struggling with mental illness. Currently, it provides shelter, clothing, and meals to more than 40 residents, and 36 others who come daily, while also offering rehabilitative services to homeless individuals across Jamaica.

Gulotta told the Jamaica Observer last Friday that she was determined to continue the work of the entity which places heavy emphasis on rehabilitation.

“A lot of people just have a drop-off centre. Drop-off centres you have a crowd at 5:00 pm, and they take a shower, get a meal, but the following day they are back on the street. It’s nicer to shelter them. All around is full of homeless, they lie down in the middle of the street. I have my office downtown Kingston and you see them all around,” she told the Observer.

She said the encounter with the man who suffered the mental breakdown and who now lives and works in the United States, happened because he had taken up refuge outside her office in downtown Kingston.

“Now and then I would give him a lunch or a lunch money. Then one day I was carrying in some boxes and I asked him, ‘Could you give me some help?’ and he said ‘No problem,’ ” Gulotta shared.

“The following day I had more boxes and he helped. After some time the caretaker resigned and I asked him ‘Would you like this job?’ and he was very happy. The only thing is, he asked to use the bathroom, because he had nowhere to wash himself. So he was there and he was liking what he was doing,” the rights advocate continued.

“One day I was in office and I was struggling with QuickBooks and he was there behind me and he was telling me “No, don’t do that, do this.” I was astonished. So I said, ‘Tell me your story,’ ” Gulotta recalled.

When that story came tumbling out, she was floored.

“He and his family were driving one Sunday. He had an accident, his wife and children died, he went completely out of his mind, nobody was helping him so he lost his job, he couldn’t pay his rent and he ended up in the streets,” Gulotta shared.

Through the help of the shelter and a social worker the widower began the trek towards healing and getting his life back fully on track.

“He got a job. He is now in New York in jacket and tie [employed],” Gulotta said, then pointed out that this was just one story.

“What happened to the other 5,000, 10,000?” she said. “That’s why I want to work with the shelter. I know we can’t take in thousands, but I want to start the conversation and rescue those who are traumatised and become both mentally ill and homeless.”

“Two months ago, thanks to a vocational centre in Port Antonio, we sent three of them and two got a job, and now we are sending some more. So, the idea is not only charity, it is to work on inclusion. I am very proud of them,” Gulotta added.

“I see that it is possible, and it is one of the reasons for the GoFundMe, because I want to increase the programme, but I need funds and I want to buy more material for them to work. It is my pilot experiment with mental illness to show that another avenue is possible,” she said, noting that beneficiaries are kept occupied and productive.

“We raise chickens, rabbits, and vegetables. So the idea is not only shelter, but to work on them so that at least some of them can go back to living their lives. It works, honestly it works. I am proud, I am determined to continue,” she said.

In the GoFundMe appeal, launched on Friday, the centre outlined that many residents have endured abuse, mental health challenges, illness, and substance use disorders.

“To help them heal and rebuild their lives we provide not only counselling and health care, but also creative and entrepreneurial activities that foster self-love and self-confidence. Our main goal is to rehabilitate most of them in order to, when possible, reintegrate them in their families and communities,” it said.

The appeal also stated that maintaining those vital services carry significant costs for the shelter which has been operating for decades and suffered major damage in the recent hurricanes. As such, it urgently needs support to continue serving residents and offering quality services.

“Your donation will directly fund our essential services, helping to pay our staff, including nurses and counsellors, providing food and shelter, and facilitating rehabilitative programmes. One-third of our budget is dedicated to food and bedding, another third to staff salaries, and the rest supports the programmes that empower our residents to rebuild their lives,” it said further.

A donation of $25 will cover meals for residents and non-residents; $50 will cover a week’s basic necessities for one resident; $100 will help two residents; and $200 will directly fund entrepreneurial activities, such as raising chickens for residents to earn extra cash.

The centre, in the meantime, said a total of US$35,000 will enable it to provide essential services to residents, but US$45,000 could expand its rehabilitation efforts, offer entrepreneurial courses, and, importantly, enrol more residents in remedial education or vocational training.

The link can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-an-jamaican-homeless-shelter-stay-open for those wishing to assist.

Some of the vegetables planted by residents of Portland Rehabilitation Management Homeless Shelter.

Chickens being raised by Portland Rehabilitation Management Homeless Shelter for residents to earn extra cash.