Avia Collinder, Sunday Gleaner Writer

LEROY ANDERSON, director of the National Children's Home, says Maria Pickering-Vincent of The Gleaner's Information Systems Department is the Santa who appears with goodies for the children not once, but at least three times a year.

Pickering-Vincent, a 13-year member of the newspaper company, spends a lot of her time mobilising The Gleaner's staff and community members in her home district in Spanish Town to provide items for which the residents of the children's home are perpetually in need.

According to Mr Anderson, "There are many times when I just get a call to pick up something from The Gleaner. They (Pickering and her team) are like extended family. They are partners in care."

He says that Pickering-Vincent, along with other colleagues, has been active in the care, rehabilitation efforts and development of children in the home.

Special school

The Jamaica National Children's home, located near Hope Gardens in St Andrew and owned and operated by the Methodist Church of Jamaica, has in its dormitories 75 children ranging from five to 18 years old. Among them are 40 children who are mentally and/or physically challenged and some are hearing impaired. The children's home also runs a special school for the mentally challenged among its ranks and for local children.

Their needs are numerous and so the assistance provided by community members like Pickering-Vincent is highly appreciated, the director says.

Pickering-Vincent relates: "I got involved with the children's home in April 2006 when The Gleaner's library was having a fund-raising event for them. This was initiated by Information Systems Manager Mavis Belasse who asked me to assist with organising the event."

"When I went there and met with the children," Pickering-Vincent recalls, "I started to cry, seeing so many unwanted ones. I had recently lost twins. I said 'God, I am here and I want children and there are other persons who are having them and don't want them'."

She then made a personal dedication to become a mother figure for children in the home.

Since that time, Pickering-Vincent has been collecting clothing, toiletries, schoolbooks and toys for her 'children'.

She also collects $10 each day from her colleagues in the Information Systems Department and purchases shampoos, soaps, perfumes as well as underwear, toothbrushes and other necessities, for occupants of the children's home.

"We have put the needs over the wants," she states. "The real need is for educational items, toiletries and clothing, so we focused more on that."

"I try to do this at least three times for the year: January, April and October, or April, September and December," Pickering-Vincent says, noting that the dates coincide with times of great need including the back-to-school period.

There are two residents who attend the University of the West Indies, Mona and one who is enrolled at the GC Foster College of Sports and Education in Spanish Town.

"What The Gleaner team does is pretty comprehensive. They consistently look at personal development skills. They have put a big focus on school material to assist in the children's educational development," reports Anderson. "They also recognise that along with the education, there has to be good health and comfort in terms of nutrition and clothing. For this Christmas they have sent the usual goodies - large boxes of clothing complemented with school items, toys and other goodies," he adds.

Team of helpers

Pickering-Vincent says her team of helpers includes staff in The Gleaner's offices in Kingston and Montego Bay as well as members of her community in Eltham Vista in Spanish Town.

Before this effort, the beneficiary of her charitable efforts was the Bellevue Hospital, where inmates, especially men, were in need of clothing.

"My mother always said to me, the more you give, the more you receive," remarks Pickering-Vincent. "When the packages are ready, I feel good, I feel great. I would love to be able to do so much more. I thank everyone who has contributed, and I hope that, together, we can do much more in the New Year," she adds.

avia.ustanny@gleanerjm.com