The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WITH the holidays fast approaching, many non-profit organisations are appealing for various donations to help persons in need during Christmas.

One of them is The Good Samaritan Senior Citizens Home.

Head of the facility, Reverend Dr Kendall Capron said a second location on Claridge Road has taken in some Hurricane Dorian victims and due to a shortage of beds at the home, some of them are sleeping on the floor.

The senior citizens home has been in operation since the 1990s.

"We're very much in need. We need all of that what you could put and I'm right here and we have the home at Claridge Road. I'm praying for someone to bring some beds for some of the people who want to come in . . .I need some help. I have at least 30 persons, even from the storm (and) they need some place to stay," he said.

"(But) I don't have the beds what are needed. We have people in this room that come here and are sleeping on the floor. They would leave in the day and come back in the night so we need anything that could help even for those victims that suffered from the storm."

Rev Janet Smith-Butler, founder and administrator of Unity House, said trying to secure Christmas donations for the old folks home has not been easy, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

"It's been really tight," she told The Tribune. "It's been more than tight and everybody is saying that you have to wait until next year (because of Dorian), but you can't wait because it's four meals a day to feed and to cook. Some of the old folks here are hurricane victims and…(in total) I think we have some 30 or 40 persons, but that could change because around Christmas time, normally when the rest of the homes are saying no, I try to help as much persons as I possibly can and try to make them have a good Christmas."

Rev Smith-Butler added that while she understands that the needs of Dorian victims have to be met, she also doesn't want persons to forget to help those throughout the community. She said her home needs donations of canned food, ham, turkey and other food items.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Ranfurly Home for Children are appealing to members of the public to volunteer their time and services in an effort to make this Christmas a memorable one for the children there, especially those who were affected by Hurricane Dorian.

The home's president, Alexandra Maillis-Lynch, told The Tribune: "The children want to do things. They want to do stuff. These are teenagers and these children want to go all the time, but it's expensive and people only think that they want things, but things is not an experience.

"They want memories. They want to do stuff. They want to go to (the) carnival. They want to go bowling. They want to go the movies. They want to go to Poley's Playhouse. They want to do paintball, you know anything. It doesn't have to be for the whole 45 children. We do a lot of small group activities.

"Monetary donations are (also) welcome especially when people give them to us and say buy them tickets to go out. So, let us buy tickets for things out (of the home)."