Homeless Trelawny Resident Welcomes Newly Opened Parish Shelter

Excitement and anticipation permeated the atmosphere as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, officially opened the Falmouth Homeless Shelter in Trelawny on May 5.

However, of the persons gathered for the occasion, none was more excited than Patsy Wilson, who told journalists that the shelter should be more comfortable than the chairs at the Falmouth Public General Hospital, which she had grown accustomed to sleeping on.

“I am feeling so overwhelmed; I’m so happy to know [the shelter is open]. I have been looking forward to this, because the chairs at the hospital, I always [sleep] sitting up on them until morning, because I don’t have anywhere to live. So, God is [good] and He made a miracle through that man [Mr. McKenzie],” she said, pointing to the Minister.

The Falmouth Homeless Shelter, which was constructed at a cost of $25 million, will provide temporary shelter, meals, and bathroom amenities for homeless citizens of Falmouth and its environs.

The facility was constructed to accommodate up to 20 persons at a time – 14 males and six females.

A beaming Ms. Wilson informed that her struggles began after her partner died some years ago, She further pointed out that she was plunged into homelessness two years ago when a family member she was staying with told her she had to leave.

For a brief period, she slept under a sheet of zinc in Falmouth, adding that she stopped doing so as she “didn’t want to catch a cold”.

Over the next two years, Ms. Wilson slept on the chairs at the hospital, noting that persons at the facility often tried to assist her financially, while recounting that “the money [raised] never reached [an amount] that could rent a room for me”.

After recently becoming aware of the Trelawny Drop-in Centre, which is located on the same premises as the newly opened homeless shelter, she opted to utilise their services and receives meals.

Ms. Wilson indicated that she has one daughter who resides overseas, and helps in whatever way she can.

“She sends money for me, so I can buy my clothing and food; [so] God is good,” she said.

In his remarks during the opening ceremony, Mr. McKenzie encouraged well-thinking citizens to look out for the society’s indigent.

“A lot of these persons, in the prime of their lives, contributed significantly to the development of the country, and some of them have met up on hard times,” he said.

The Minister noted that the drop-in centre, which was opened by the Government in 2020, is being utilised.

“Persons come, they get a bath, they get something to eat, they get medical attention, and I did say before this was built [that] if they want to sleep, let them sleep; don’t turn them out. The doors of these facilities must never be closed to these persons who need our help,” he said.

For her part, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern, Hon. Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, in her remarks, noted that the facility’s opening indicates that the heart of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is “in the right place”.

She added that the shelter will “provide for those who are not as fortunate a place of safety, a place of comfort, a place where compassion and kindness will reach out to those who need it”.

“ We want to thank you, Minister [McKenzie]; we want to thank the Government, which has supported the policies. I [also] want to thank our Mayor [Councillor Collen Gager] and the municipal corporation staff for all the effort they have made to make this [facility] a reality,” Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert said.