Grace Vernon

Graced with a love of flowers and a little hard luck, Grace Vernon went out on a limb and opened a flower shop, which for the past 12 years has flourished.

Flowers by Grace, located in Miami, Florida, began after Ms. Vernon lost her job of 10 years as a bookkeeper at the First Union Bank. When the company downsized, she was one of the employees to go.

"I used to do the flowers on the side," she said.

So, her friends encouraged her to do it full-time, but she was apprehensive. She took some business and floral arrangement classes to sharpen her skills and eventually took on the challenge.

Ms. Vernon migrated from Jamaica at age 18 and moved to Chicago, but has kept her roots here. The business distributes through two local shops, That Blooming Florist in Kingston and Creative Floral Design in May Pen which offers convenience for the large Jamaica population in Miami who wish to send flowers to there loved ones at home.

Notable achievements

Providing arrangements for the American football competition, Super Bowl XXXIII, in Miami in 1999, is one of her notable achievements. She gives back to the community by doing career talks at schools to encourage minority groups to start businesses.

The company won an award in 1997 for Outstanding Performance and Commitment in Business from the Minority Business Development Cooperation.

For the mother of three sons, flowers are not only a business, but a way of life. She visits her personal sprawling garden every morning before work. Her love of flowers was influenced by her mother.

"Even one little hibiscus, if that's all she had she'd put it in a vase in the house," she said.

Now retired from representational politics, Ms. Bennett still serves as a trustee of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and has been in the position since 1978.

Enid Bennett

In 1966, a young woman born in Linstead, St. Catherine and of humble beginnings became councillor for that parish. A year later, she was elected Member of Parliament (MP) in the same parish. She went on to create history by sweeping the polls in seven consecutive elections between 1967 and 1997.

She is none other than Enid Maude Bennett, C.D., a distinguished politician. Her 30-year tenure is the longest ever served by a female politician, making her truly phenomenal.

Now retired from representational politics, Ms. Bennett still serves as a trustee of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and has been in the position since 1978. But Ms. Bennett's service to her country went beyond being an MP as she also served in several ministerial capacities.

Between 1980 and 1984, she served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government. And between 1984 and 1988, Ms. Bennett served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Security. In June 1988, she acted as Minister of Social Security and did so until the end of 1989.

This phenomenal woman was also a member of the Bureau of Women's Affairs and the Jamaica Political Caucus and Women of Great Esteem (New York, United States).

Gloria Meredith

Gloria Meredith is a good Samaritan who helps adults and children living with HIV to cope with the disease. Her compassionate journey began in June 1994 after she picked up a young man off the street who was HIV-positive and homeless.

At the time she was a hairdresser working at a salon in Montego Bay and one day while working with a client, she was told about the man. She said she asked her client to excuse her and went to see him for herself. When she arrived where he was, people were taunting him.

"I felt sorry for him so I went up to him and asked if he wanted a drink," Ms. Meredith said.

Outstanding work

She fed him then took him to the hospital where they said they could not admit him. She consulted her church's pastor and she was given permission to take him to the church's rectory. This was the start of her phenomenal work among people living with HIV. She began with a three-bed hospice, where she took the young man and two others. The hospice became a place where people living with HIV got shelter, food and care.

Ms. Meredith was born in Newmarket in St. Elizabeth into a huge family. Her father married twice and her own mother had 15 children, of which 12 are still alive. She has three children of her own, two sons and a daughter. Her eldest son has died. Having so many brothers and sisters and children of her own served as the perfect preparation for the work she now does among those living with HIV.

In 1997, after the three-bed hospice closed down, she went to work with the Good Shepherd Foundation. The non-profit organisation cares for the needy, dying and people living with HIV. Ms. Meredith stated, however, that she got bored after working at Good Shepherd for only 18 months because it was not challenging enough.

In 1998, she took in two children who had been left to eke out a living on the streets, after their parents succumbed to illnesses associated with AIDS. Taking them in changed her life. The experience of caring for these children led to the formation of Children of Faith. The organisation has blossomed into an entity that helps needy children in St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny. All the work she does with the children of these parishes is voluntary.

Over the years Mrs. Meredith has dedicated her life to helping children and adults living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. This is one phenomenal Samaritan.