The Runaway CDC focus has been on providing basic food and other care packages depending on the level of donation they receive. In addition to homelessness citizens, they have been concerned about housebound elderly, many of whom live in isolated rural districts.
Jamaica Women’s Network (UK) has been instrumental in supporting the Runaway Bay CDC in the delivery of our food programme. The contribution has meant that instead of monthly we have been providing fortnightly Sunday dinners and other essentials to the homeless, elderly housebound citizens and young families experiencing extreme poverty. It has also enabled us to contact other government agencies to raise issues of concern. We have been fortunate in that we have a team of volunteers to undertake this work. The caterer for example provides an average of 35 meals each time which she prepares freely. She has no piped water, so the CDC contributed to ensure she is able to prepare the meals hygienically and without added expense to herself. Other members of the CDC travel across an average of nine districts to deliver the food and other items spending between four and seven hours on the road.
Some of the stand our cases are:
Young mother with 3 children living in difficult circumstances. We also provided care package and material for uniform shirts for two of her sons.
Homeless man who sleeps under a bridge ion the community
He is homeless man with Bipolar. We had to get him to hospital because we were alerted that he was in front of a shop and couldn't move. The mental health outreach team did not turn up. It took me 3 hrs to cajole the police to take him to hospital. We were asked to provide information about him by the hospital which we have find out in order to help him. He had 2 dogs as his companion so we had to provide for food for them as well
A young man is also mentally challenged who walks the streets all day. Previously he never spoke but since we have been feeding him, he says hello whenever he sees me now. Made me cry. The little we do can mean so much to others.
The members of Runaway CDC express our sincere gratitude to Jamaica Women’s Network (UK) for its generous and continuous support. We look forward to discussing how best we can develop our partnership.