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JN Foundation donates to Missionaries of the Poor

Published:Friday | June 19, 2020 | 12:28 AM
Onyka Barrett Scott (second left), general manager at JN Foundation, and her team of Zola Hinds (third right), corporate social responsibility officer, and Chevanese Peters (second right), programmes coordinator at the JN Foundation, present care packages
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Onyka Barrett Scott (second left), general manager at JN Foundation, and her team of Zola Hinds (third right), corporate social responsibility officer, and Chevanese Peters (second right), programmes coordinator at the JN Foundation, present care packages to Elijah Kujur Mop (right), Simran Barla (left), and Lorianus Kollo, representatives of Missionaries of the Poor. The JN Foundation presented 500 care packages to the organisation to assist its beneficiaries to cope with the effects of COVID-19.

THE MISSIONARIES of the Poor are the recipients of 500 care packages including basic food items, toiletries, canned foods, and household cleaning products to assist the organisation’s beneficiaries to cope with the effects of COVID-19.

The JN Foundation made the presentation to representatives of Missionaries of the Poor at a dedicated warehouse space on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston on June 9. Elijah Kujur Mop, who received the packages on behalf of the organisation, lauded the generosity of the JN Foundation.

“We appreciate this contribution given by the JN Foundation, which will assist us to meet the needs of our homes. Whatever was lacking, this contribution will go a far way to sustain us,” he said.

The organisation operates six homes with some 500 persons, comprising the elderly, the mentally challenged, the disabled, and children. The homes are located on Hanover Street; Laws Street, High Holborn Street, and Heroes Circle in downtown Kingston; and Golden Spring in St Andrew.

Onyka Barrett Scott, general manager of the JN Foundation, said the donation was in response to the needs of the organisation, which plays a critical role in community-outreach programmes across the country.

“We are happy to be in a position to partner with Missionaries of the Poor in a meaningful way. We recognise that no one has been spared from the fallout from COVID-19, and organisations such as Missionaries of the Poor are well placed to help us respond to the needs of the most marginalised in the society,” Barrett Scott said.

“Therefore, we chose to give tangible items, such as food packages and cleaning agents, which will assist the organisation to care for the residents of the various homes,” she added.

Brother Kujur Mop pointed out that the missionaries had been fortunate, in that none of the persons located in their homes had been infected by the coronavirus. However, he noted that some outreach programmes had been curtailed, given the nature of the virus.

He noted that the supplies of the organisation had been negatively affected as a result of COVID-19 because it depends heavily on ‘in-kind’ donations, which have been reduced in the last few months.

The JN Foundation’s contribution was also in support of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica COVID-19 Jamaica Response Fund, which is aimed at meeting the needs of citizens and mitigating the threats associated with the pandemic by distributing aid to areas that need it the most.