Persons Encouraged to Use Drop-In Centres to Feed the Homeless

Persons interested in providing meals for the homeless are being encouraged to utilise the available Drop-in Centres by contacting the Poor Relief Department, located in all 13 Municipal Corporations, to make the necessary arrangements.

Drop-in Centres are the first point of contact for homeless persons and offer a range of care, including a bath and other hygiene care, food, and medical assessment.

“We have a Drop-in Centre in St. Thomas, St. Mary, St. Ann, Trelawny, St. James, Hanover, St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine. We are building out the Drop-in Centre in Clarendon and expanding it into a night shelter,” said Secretary, Board of Supervision (for the relief of the poor in Jamaica), Treka Lewis, during a recent JIS Studio 58A interview.

Ms. Lewis informed that persons who want to help the homeless through the provision of meals may do so; however, the practice of “street feeding” is not encouraged, due to various public health factors that may come with it.

She indicated that the provision of facilities, such as the Drop-in Centres, is the Government’s way of providing an alternative, which also allows for a greater level of organisation and structure in the process.

It also provides an area for proper sanitation and dining for those who want to be seated to have their meals.

“Let’s say, you and your friends come together, and you want to provide a meal for that day. Reach out to the Poor Relief Department, ask them for a schedule and you will get our facility to use and provide your meals,” Ms. Lewis pointed out.

She said that although not every parish has a Drop-in Centre, “there is a solution in every parish”.

Ms. Lewis further emphasised that organisation helps to prevent having a glut of meals.

“For example, you will have one day – Christmas – when everybody comes to feed. For that one day, a homeless person would have six meals and then the 27th of December, it’s only one meal. So, if we can organise, we can stretch it out, so that throughout the entire period, and not just December, persons are covered and will have a meal,” she added.

For additional information, persons may also contact the Board of Supervision at 876-6-87360-9, email boardofsupervision@mlgcd.gov.jm or visit their offices at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, at 61 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10.