BIRTHDAYS have always been special for Mikiesha Flash, with her celebration moving from parties to trips and exotic vacations, and 2025 was planned to be similar.

But two months ago Flash came up with the idea to do something different this year to mark her 34th birthday on October 17.

“I think it was in August when I started thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’ Sitting down [and] doing some reflecting I said, ‘This year I don’t want anything, I think I just want to give back.’ And so I decided that I am turning 34 so I want to feed 340 people,” Flash told the Jamaica Observer on Saturday at Marie Atkins Night Shelter at 65 Hanover Street in downtown Kingston, where her dream became reality.

With an army of friends — mainly from her Corporate Area community of Reapers Road in Maverley and led by an executive chef who asked not to be named — Flash prepared a variety of meals which were delivered to residents of the shelter and other homeless people across downtown Kingston.

While handing out the lunches an overwhelmed Flash told the Observer that the tears streaming down her face were tears of joy as she was doing something, with the support of friends, with no one expecting anything in return.

“Oh God, man, oh God, the feeling is indescribable! I would like to say I want more people to come onboard to help, to get the experience. It is nothing to gain from — it is just a different output, and you get a different view once you come here,” added Flash as she vowed that while this was the first time, it would not be the last time she would be helping those people most in need.

“If you can give back, don’t care how small it is, it will be surely, surely appreciated,” said Flash as she endorsed the appeal by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) for people to stop feeding the homeless on the streets.

That message was endorsed by Donna-Gaye Brady, acting inspector of the poor at the KSAMC, who was on hand for the sharing of the meals by Flash and her team.

“This afternoon we have a team who heard the message that was sent out by His Worship the Mayor [Andrew Swaby] for us to have coordinated feeding [of the homeless] at the 65 Hanover Street location, and we are happy to see that this group has decided to comply and adhere to this call,” Brady told the Observer.

“They came in and they were able to feed the homeless population and some residents in the shelter, and we truly appreciate the gesture. You can see how accomplished they felt, based on the tears that you would have seen from the main organiser Ms Mikiesha Flash,” added Brady.

In expressing gratitude to Flash and her team Brady urged other people who want to provide meals to the homeless to do so through the KSAMC.

“This assistance coming from the public would have relieved the strain on the Poor Relief Department… being a non-revenue-generating department, and as such we appreciate it and we want more people to come on board and be a part of this process,” said Brady.

Mikiesha Flash (left) in discussion with Donna-Gaye Brady (centre), acting inspector of the poor at the KSAMC and one of the many people who volunteered to make her birthday memorable, Joan Watson.

Volunteers from Reapers Road in the community of Maverley handing out lunches to some of the homeless in downtown Kingston on Saturday.