ISLINGTON, St Mary — What began as a catering business has taken Aneta Blackett Ricketts down a road of philanthropy that has inspired others to join her quest to help those in need and build a spirit of community.

Through her NGO, called On Di Go for Christ, the mother of three and businesswoman focuses on supporting vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and children. She has come a long way from the days when she worked as a certified hairdresser at a hotel. But even then, she had already mastered the art of the pivot.

When management of the property changed hands, Blackett Ricketts launched out on her own and started a hairdressing business in Friendship, Islington. That lasted for 16 years before she again changed direction.

“It was slow in the community, [so] I put it on pause and then I started doing finger food,” she said.

Neita’s Finger Bites, her catering business, was born in 2010.

It led her down an unexpected path.

“Doing the food, I found out that people wanted to purchase food, but they had challenges to purchase what they really needed,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Not wanting to see anyone go hungry Blackett Ricketts would sometimes give away her entire day’s stock.

Then in 2020, she said, she had a vision of God telling her to visit the shut-ins, children with disabilities and the elderly.

“I did not hesitate. I spoke with my pastor, and I went out to meet these people,” she said.

She was moved when she saw the conditions under which some community members lived. Starting with donations from family and friends, she began to help. Creating a social media page to get the word out, she received more donations towards her cause and in the first year she was able to provide 50 people with warm meals and care packages. Every Thursday for three years she provided hot meals and she also visited the health clinic on paediatric days.

She developed a following on social media where fans often reached out to her, providing cash or kind for her to distribute to the needy. From this, On Di Go for Christ was conceptualised and it is now a registered non-governmental organisation (NGO). Over the years, Blackett Ricketts’ philanthropic work has connected families and friends. One unforgettable moment is when she got help for a man who was confined to his house. She shared a video after a visit and on seeing it, the man’s relatives overseas reached out to her.

“This was a memorable moment as the family overseas had no idea that the family was in such a state,” Blackett Ricketts recalled with a wide smile of satisfaction after a good deed.

Another example of how she has touched many lives in the community, directly or indirectly, is her 2022 staging of the first Mini Miss Islington pageant. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic but that did not stop the determined Blackett Ricketts.

“This pageant was to groom young ladies not only in walk and what goes with a pageant but help to groom them in speech, doing community outreach [and] also learning about the community that they are from, which is Islington,” she explained.

Now in its sixth year, On Di Go for Christ has ramped up its activities. Events now include a 5K prayer walk of faith in the community with participants from various churches, civil society and community members. And this year she will once again host Mini Miss Islington and Miss Islington pageants.

Blackett Ricketts is committed to making a lasting impact, and her enthusiasm is infectious.

As she moves forward, she plans to focus even more on uplifting the community, particularly the elderly and children, as she works towards positive change in her community.

Woman on the move, Aneta Blackett Ricketts.

Philanthropist Aneta Blackett Ricketts (centre) with her husband Sydie (right) along with their daughters Naidaj (left), Sydena (second left), and Jadian Ricketts.