KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Maxfield Park Children’s Home has donated care packages to the Crisis Support Charity to assist families and children who were impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Director of the Crisis Support Charity, Steve Joseph, said the organisation was moved by the gesture, noting that the initiative was driven by the children and staff at the home who wanted to help those impacted.

Joseph shared that Maxfield Park reached out, expressing that their children wanted to deliver items to other children who were in need. The donation includes diapers, clothing and other essential supplies.

“Today is just the handing over for these packages of diapers and clothes and much more items that they have…One of the messages on the box: they’re helping to rebuild Jamaica,” he said. “And so, you know, we’re so grateful that Maxfield Park Children Home could extend help to these children who are in desperate need.”

Joseph admitted he was surprised when he first received the call from the home.

“I was surprised when we got the call from Maxfield saying that their children and their aunties and their teachers and their administration and institution want to help these children who are in need and they are also in need.” he said.

Manager of the Maxfield Park Children’s Home, Tocquet Palmer, said the initiative was a “gift of love” packaged and decorated by the home’s staff and residents.

“The staff would have packed toiletries, clothing, toys, pampers, some things the children would have gotten on their own,” Palmer said.

“Seeing things from a child’s perspective, they’ll put a colouring book, a crayon… we as adults, we think of food items, toilet paper, but the kids will just kind of put their own little touch on it,” she said.

Palmer said she was proud of the enthusiasm the children showed in giving back.

“I feel great because the children jumped in, there was no hesitation on their part… It’s good to see my children giving back to the wider community,” she said.

She added that many of the children expressed a desire to personally visit affected communities.

“Most of them actually want to go there and they want to be there…later on hopefully they can get to go and help and be a part of being on the ground,” she said.

Palmer said this was the largest donation effort the home has ever undertaken.

“This is the most we have done, the biggest we have done. So I am really proud of them,” she said. “It’s a different feeling to be giving back, especially as we are approaching Christmas…They really put their hearts into it and I really appreciate them.”