Poor Relief, Jamaica Visitation Part 1

The Poor Relief Department, coordinated by Mrs. Jeanette Samuels Morris, functions primarily as the social welfare of the Local Authority. Persons entitled to relief in the parish are those persons who are in a state of destitution and are at the same time unable to work and earn their means of subsistence due to mental or physical causes. The primary objectives of the poor relief programme can be defined as follows:

• To monitor and ensure that registered and temporary poor persons receive the services provided by organizations such as transportation, housing, clothing and allowances.

• To ensure the provision of residential facilities to house beneficiaries in need of same.

• Homeless Division

Our team members visited this week and was able to interview Miriam Brown (Puncie) who is a homeless woman living at Poor Relief in Downtown Kingston, Jamaica since February of this year.

Puncie became homeless because her house was burnt down and now she sleeps at poor relief because she feels safe there, but goes on the road to ask passers-by for food because sometimes poor relief doesn't provide enough food for the persons at the shelter.

She also said that her kids are abroad and was asked to get a contact number of someone so that a link can be made to possibly get her off the streets.

Our members were also able to assist in providing food for the persons there as well as talk to them about what the organization has done or is doing for them.

#homelesslivesmatter