Islington’s Blackett-Ricketts ‘On Di Go for Christ’
St Mary native dedicates effort to feeding poor, needy
Published:Tuesday | April 25, 2023 | 1:12 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
DURING THE heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, St Mary native Aneta Blackett-Ricketts quickly realised a growing need to assist the less fortunate within her community of Islington.
By starting a feeding programme that satisfies the hunger of the homeless, the elderly, shut-ins, those afflicted by mental health challenges and children, Blackett-Ricketts has been able to touch the lives of many.
Her kindness, however, is shared in more than meals as the Islington native also supplies the needy with clothing and toiletries.
Each year, over 700 individuals are fed through the three-year-old programme dubbed ‘On Di Go for Christ’, which she operates and is assisted by her husband, Sydie Ricketts, her three kids aged 10, 15 and 24 years old, and the nearly 10 members who volunteer in various ways to ensure a smooth operation.
Blackett-Ricketts is no stranger to the kitchen, as she has been operating a catering business, Neta’s Finger Food, for the last eight years.
She ensures to set aside time on a weekly basis to prepare a lavish spread of Jamaican dishes such as jerked, fried and stewed chicken with rice and peas and on other occasions, soups and porridges to serve.
“The response (has been) absolutely overwhelming,” she said during an interview with The Gleaner.
MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION
Blackett-Ricketts further expressed that the programme is very important to her because she wants to make a meaningful contribution to society, and help in making the nation a better place.
Given her Christian background and beliefs, Blackett-Ricketts is guided by God’s messages of love for one another, as she places a great focus on scriptures like John 6:35, which reads: “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst’.
“It is extremely important ‘cause I see myself as God’s servant and mouthpiece, so I strive towards doing this work as I know it pleases Him to see me help the poor and needy,” Blackett-Ricketts said.
She has also ventured into other charitable services of hosting devotion at clinics, put on back-to-school events for when the children are scheduled to return to school from Christmas or summer holidays, and engage teenage girls into volunteering efforts while teaching them the value of giving back.
“I continue to crave the support of the wider community,” she said, noting that funding for her programme comes from individuals locally and internationally, who are interested in making a difference within the lives of the vulnerable and impoverished.
Blackett-Ricketts, once per year, also seeks to travel outside of her hometown, taking the programme to Red Ground, Clarendon and Cedar Valley in St Thomas. One of her main challenges, however, is inaccessibility to a designated motor vehicle to transport the food items from one district to another.
Despite this, she remains steadfast and motivated to expand operations. She stated that within the next five years, she anticipates establishing a pickup station within the community where she can serve hot meals and care packages on a continuous basis for needing persons.
“I also see this programme owning a bus to do our deliveries more frequently...and to see more community (members) come out and volunteer,” she added.
For more information
Those interested in connecting with Aneta Blackett-Ricketts can call her at (876) 804-1856. She can be reached via email at aneta.ricketts@yahoo.com and on Instagram @on.di.goprogramme, @netasfingerfood. To learn more, you can visit her website at https://anetaricketts.wixsite.com/ondigosprogram.