80-Year-Old Receives New Wheelchair from RGD and Food for the Poor

Christmas came early for 80-year-old Pauline Forbes who received a new wheelchair from the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) and Food For the Poor (FFP) Jamaica, today (December 20).

Mrs. Forbes, who is an amputee living in the community of Brandon Hill, St. Andrew, expressed gratitude for the generous donation, exclaiming “I feel good! Thank you for the chair.”

She told JIS News that she lost her legs from a series of ailments, including high blood pressure and diabetes four years ago and was happy that the RGD was able to assist her.

The Executive Agency recently revised its core value to ‘RGD Cares’, and Chief Executive Officer, Charlton McFarlane, said that it was Parish Officer for Kingston, Tamar Blake, who identified the need for the new wheelchair when she went to Mrs. Forbes home to conduct an on-the-job interview.

Ms. Blake was gathering information for a customer who was applying for a certificate of late registration.

Having learned of the need, Mr. McFarlane then reached out to the FFP Jamaica for assistance in acquiring the wheelchair.

On receiving same, he and his team journeyed to the home to hand over the birth certificate to the applicant and present Mrs. Forbes with her new wheelchair.

The CEO also handed over an additional birth certificate for the son of the geriatric nurse who is caring for Mrs. Forbes as well as a marriage certificate for one of her children.

“We are happy that while it’s not our core business, this is what I believe partnership is about. This is what we should be doing as customer service agencies. We should not just be attending to the immediate needs, in terms of the services that we offer to our customers, but if through interaction with them, we see that there are alternate needs and we can help. I think it is something that we should embrace,” Mr. McFarlane said.

Mr. McFarlane said he is certain that Mrs. Forbes is very happy to receive the wheelchair, noting that “her quality of life will be improved, and we are just happy that as part of the RGD we could partner with FFP to be a part of this”.

With this being just one example of the many ways companies can help those in need, Mr. McFarlane made an appeal to CEOs across the board.

“Where there may be needs that exist that are not within your immediate realm of responsibility, do not be afraid to look and make the connections where you can enhance the lives of the people we serve, because at the end of the day, that’s what life is all about – each one, helping one,” he reiterated.

“We must care for the people we serve, and so we must see ourselves as more than just a provider of a direct service. We must see ourselves as agents of the State trying to work to improve the quality of life of others,” the CEO said.

The Registrar General’s Department is Jamaica’s sole repository for birth, death, marriage and foetal death records.