Morganne Kellier dedicated to service

Born and raised in Montego Bay, St James, Morganne Kellier developed a love for service and community involvement as she tagged along with her aunt Natasha Parchment.

“From as early as I can remember, I was always involved in outreach activities to include beach clean-ups, face painting, and Christmas treats. I studied at the UWI in Barbados and continued my service journey where I was the Guild of Students’ events officer responsible for outreach,” Kellier said.

Currently an attorney-at-law and employed as a clerk of the court, Kellier said she feels gratified knowing that she brings a smile to someone else’s face. “I have always loved giving back; there is a special joy that is associated with giving back. The joy it brings to people and spaces is unmatched. I try to give back in more ways than one, such as mentoring young people in and around my community,” she said.

“As the immediate past Miss St James Festival Queen, I also held a youth development seminar aimed at empowering young people, something I wish to continue in the west, as well as participating in the feeding of the homeless with the Street People Liberation Foundation,” Kellier added.

Kellier is a volunteer with the Street People Liberation, which is geared towards helping homeless persons reintegrate into society and providing hot, healthy meals to them not only on a special holiday, but more than once throughout the year.

“I honestly cannot count how many people have benefited from my intervention over the years as I know there are several persons that I have tried to assist in several ways through mentorship, tutoring, motivational speeches, homeless feeding and workshops,” Kellier said.

All the projects she has undertaken have all been supported by the donations of generous donors and sponsors. The famous saying, “to find yourself, you must first lose yourself in the service of others,” is to be held true. In order to truly find oneself, they must, in fact, try to serve others. This is because there is so much to learn about one’s self having served and truly getting to understand another person,” Kellier said.

A 2022 Governor General Achievement awardee, Kellier is encouraging others to give back to their communities as the opportunities that can be gained from service are endless. She said it is a humbling experience to be recognised for her efforts because it shows that people are inspired by her work and motivated to get involved in their communities.

“While giving back, you gain the opportunity to network with people who can open doors and say your names in rooms that you would never imagine. You learn so much about yourself and gain an inexplicable joy from service. It is a worthwhile and meaningful experience,” she said.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com