Outspoken pastor says drop-in centre is misguided

Western Bureau:

Outspoken Pastor Reverend Devere Nugent, who leads the congregation at the William Knibb Circuit of Baptist Churches in Trelawny, is taking issue with the newly opened J$16.5-million drop-in centre in Falmouth, describing the project as misguided.

During his sermon on Sunday, Nugent made it clear that the funding that went into the creation of the facility, which was opened last Thursday, could have been better used as the services being offered is a duplication of what is already being provided by the church.

“The municipal council and its mayor, Colin Gager, are not thinkers, nor are they capable of consultation. There is a voluntary organisation in Falmouth, the Kitchen of Love, which has been feeding street people every Wednesday for the last 35 years. They should have discussed how they could improve the service being offered by Kitchen of Love and use that money (the funds used for the construction) for more needy situations.

“That J$16.5 million could be used to build and equip some form of a transport centre, which is badly needed in the town,” stated Nugent. “The one (transport centre) now operating on Duke Street is forcing pedestrians to walk in the middle of the street.”

In amplifying his lack of faith that the drop-in centre will ever be viable, the pastor, who has had a long history of taking on social issues in Trelawny, said he expects the operation of the centre to fold within three years.

“I give the drop-in centre three years before it falls into a state of disrepair,” said Nugent, expressing very little faith in the capacity of the Poor Relief Department to meet the mandate of the facility.

When ground was broken for the drop-in centre, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said the facility would provide needy persons with hot meals, a shower, and a place where their medications can be administered. Prior to its opening, the Poor Relief Department was providing some 10 street persons with a hot meal daily.

Funding Primarily from Churches

In support of Nugent’s position as it relates to the Kitchen of Love, Florence Logan, a member of the committee that spearheads the activities of that entity,’ told The Gleaner that their funding comes primarily from churches in the Trelawny parish capital.

“The Kitchen of Love is funded from contributions provided by five churches in and around Falmouth. The churches’ input is supplemented by contributions from Food For The Poor, which has been a willing partner in helping us in our efforts to care for the needy,” Logan told The Gleaner.

In his sermon, in which he touched on a range of issues, Nugent also urged churches to come out of the silent mode as it relates to the contentious issues of persons being forced to open bank accounts, at a cost to them, to get their pensions.

“Let your voices be heard. Do not sit down and allow the Government to force pensioners to open bank accounts. This is only a means to increase the profit margin of banks ... . This is cruel and heartless, and serves to decrease the spending power of the aged poor,” said Nugent.