MARTHA BRAE, Trelawny — Sixty-three-year-old Albert “Gary” Scott is relieved now that he has a roof over his head; and he is looking forward to making a home out of the modular unit donated by kind-hearted neighbours.

“I’m giving thanks, feeling blessed. I [am] grateful to Tracy; Tracy give me a home where I can live and feel pleased,” Scott told the Jamaica Observer.

His heartfelt thanks were directed to Tracy-Ann Tomlinson and her family who stepped in to help restore some measure of dignity to his life through a donation made in memory of the family’s late matriarch, Maple Newman.

After receiving the key to his new house last Saturday, an emotional Scott embraced Tomlinson. He could not hide his joy as he unlocked the door to the dwelling for the first time.

“These people are like brother and sisters. From them small them know me, I’ve taken care of them and they have taken care of me so I have to give thanks to them,” he told the
Observer.

He was left homeless last year, his belongings ignominiously scattered on the ground, after Hurricane Melissa tore through the structure he had lived in for decades. Since then, he has been living in a shed at the back of the property.

Alfred Scott (right) opens the door of his new home in Martha Brae with Tracy-Ann Tomlinson, who made the donation in memory of her late mother Maple Newman, looking on.

“When we saw the condition, we decided we would do this in memory of [my mother] in order to bless Gary with this container space that can be a part of his new beginning [in] picking up the pieces after the storm,” said Tomlinson.

She was among a team of relatives and friends who gathered at the site in Martha Brae to present Scott with the keys to his new home.

While the unit is still without partitions and other essential fittings needed to make it fully habitable, Tomlinson said the family will ensure those needs are addressed soon.

“We are committed to providing some fixtures for the inside. He’s a friend, we are always giving and this is just the beginning,” she said.

Tomlinson, who lives in Kingston, said when she visited the area following the storm, the sight of Scott’s destroyed home compelled her family to help in whatever way they could.

Alfred Scott is looking forward to preparing the space so that he can move in as soon as possible.

“When I came everything was out on the streets, and he was without a home. To us, Gary is a neighbour, he’s somebody who has always been around,” she said.

Tomlinson explained that giving has always been a central part of her family’s values, particularly those instilled by her mother,

“It has been 14 years since the passing of my mother, Maple Newman, who was a matriarch figure in this community,” she explained.

“My mom was a giving person, some of the times you wonder where she get it from to give. She would have been the best finance minister, the way she managed out of nothing. Those values are within us. When Christ pour into your cup, if you don’t pour out and give and be kind, you won’t make space for him to continue pouring into your cup,” Tomlinson reasoned.

Her late mother was employed to Falmouth Infirmary for most of her working life and, despite her modest income, was always willing to help others in the community.

“We have always given back in her memory; we’ve done scholarships before, we’ve done a laundry centre at the infirmary where she worked when she was alive,” said Tomlinson.

Alfred Scott shows the damage last year’s Hurricane Melissa inflicted on his home. 

Now it is Scott’s turn.

Although he still hopes to rebuild the house that was so cruelly taken by the storm, he said the donated modular unit has significantly improved his circumstances.

“A who wouldn’t feel good brother, any man would feel good,” he said when asked how he felt about the donation.

Scott is now looking forward to preparing the space so he can move in as soon as possible.

“In the week I will try and line up in there because we have to sleep in there,” he said.