Pharmacist Owen Steele, of Andrews Memorial Hospital, listens intently to an elderly woman during a treat at the Good Samaritan Inn, Kingston, on Sunday.The treat was held as a humanitarian gesture in collaboration with the visiting Kendall/South Dade Florida Kiwanis Club. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

It was Christmas in April on Sunday when many indigents and homeless people in Kingston and St Andrew were treated by the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (EJC) and the Adventists Lay Persons Services and Industries (ASI) at the Good Samaritan Inn, Heroes Circle, Kingston.

The treat was a collaborative venture with the Kiwanis Club of Kendall/South Dade from Florida.

In addition to their regular Sunday dinner, the gathering of mostly elderly people was given free health services, and all the children in attendance and some adults were given bags of goodies by the Kiwanis Club.

Providing entertainment for the day was a singing group from Northern Caribbean University (NCU).

In recognition of their contribution to the Good Samaritan Inn, the ECJ gave the Kiwanis Club, the Adventist Health Volunteers and NCU's communications degree team certificates of appreciation.

In her assessment of Sunday's activities, Caroline Raffington, president of the Kiwanis Club of Kendal South Dade, said, "It was excellent ... we are definitely encouraged, and we are very grateful that it ended up being a true partnership ."

The 13-person group, which comprises members of the Kiwanis Club of Kendall/South Dade and the Jamaica Nurses' Association of Florida, is in Jamaica on a human-itarian mission as a result of an article about the Good Samaritan Inn that was published in The Gleaner in June last year.

The group is here for a week of activities, from April 5-11, and includes a dentist, a doctor and a team of nurses.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com