‘Mr Salvation Army’ - Dean McNally feeding the indigent for almost 20 years
Published:Thursday | May 31, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Fifty-seven-year-old Dean McNally is a selfless individual, who has such a big heart for the indigent that he has earned the moniker, 'Salvation Army'.
For almost 20 years, McNally has been preparing and delivering meals every Sunday to five persons in Half-Way Tree and Dunkirk, two of whom are homeless. In addition, he provides two meals daily for one of the homeless persons, Burchell Moncrieffe, and washes his clothes.
"I bring breakfast for him every morning, and, after work, I go home and cook dinner which I take to him. He is a Rastafarian, therefore, I mainly prepare fish and chicken for him," said McNally.
Moncrieffe, a former plumber with the then Ministry of Housing, who worked as a painter as a side job, said he has been living on the streets for about 15 years, and credits McNally for helping him to get by.
"He is pleasant and I respect him. He is like a son. Anything I am going to do I discuss it with him first," said Moncrieffe.
A father of 20 children, 12 sons and eight daughters, Moncrieffe explained that he became homeless when his common-law wife died, and he was forced out of the house by one of her relatives.
A family rift is not unusual for persons who end up on the streets, but McNally noted that some of the indigent persons he helps have relatives who provide some occasional assistance for them.
"Two of them have relatives who send money to them through remittance, which I collect on their behalf. I also keep the NIS card and ID for one of them, and every fortnight, I take him to collect his NIS payment.
"For the others, I do little errands, such as getting personal items for them at the wholesale," he added.
"It's just my nature to help the needy. I grew up in an environment where I saw my grandparents, parents and other family members reaching out to the less fortunate. They were always giving things to people, so I believe that's where the influence came from."
According to McNally, the importance of good deeds was especially reinforced by his father, R.C. McNally, a minister of religion for the Church of God in Jamaica, who led congregations in Portland, St James and Clarendon.
"It was the norm for us to go to church with him as a family. Many of his sermons were about showing love and caring for others," he related.
FAMILIAR WITH NEEDY PEOPLE
An employee of the Jamaica National Building Society, now JN Bank, for almost 35 years, McNally said he became familiar with the indigent persons he currently supports, given that they were always in the vicinity of his workplace, in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew.
"Initially, there were three persons whom I looked after. However, about eight years ago, I managed to relocate one of them to better living conditions in Dunkirk. As a result of going there to look after him, I met two other needy persons.
"If I could get the two in Half-Way Tree into the Golden Age Home in Vineyard Town, I would be most happy because they are not safe on the road," he said.
McNally said over the years, he has developed a bond with each person, and he treats them as if they were a part of his family.
McNally's wife of 18 years, Trudy, says that she has always known him to help people.
"Every Sunday, he cooks three different kinds of meat with rice and vegetable to take to them. Even if it's raining he still goes to deliver the meals," she revealed. "He is very kind, dedicated and always follow through with whatever he says he will do, and gives it his all."
An alumnus of Ardenne and Titchfield high schools, McNally is the father of three children, two of whom are adults; and the youngest is moving on to high school in September.
"Jamaica would be a much better place if more people generated a greater spirit of kindheartedness, especially to the poor. It's not that I have the financial means for what I have been doing; it's really that I'm willing to share whatever little I have," he maintains.