A NUMBER of detainees in lock-ups in Spanish Town and Kingston will be having a merry Christmas this year.
This, after charity organisation Food for the Poor (FFP) paid outstanding fines so that they could be released from lock-ups in these parishes last week.
The detainees were left to languish in the lock-ups because they could not afford to pay the fines that would guarantee their freedom.
While The Food for the Poor was unable to provide The Gleaner with the total number of detainees released because of its intervention, the number appears to be significant.
"There were about 12 persons released in Spanish Town," according to Bradley Finzi-Smith, FFP's executive director.
The releases that were made possible by the Prison Ministries department of the organisation, saw persons from three lock-ups benefiting. Fines as low as $500 were paid to ensure the detainees were granted their freedom. Mr. Finzi-Smith was also unable to provide the total amount of fines that were paid as the information was unavailable.
Those who will remain behind bars will also receive some cheer as the organisation will be visiting prisoners of the South Camp Road Rehabilitation centre today. Accor-ding to Mr. Finzi-Smith, the prisoners will receive prayer, food and gifts to brighten their day.
The organisation will not be limiting its giving in the Christmas, as the street people in Kingston will be dining in fine style come tomorrow.
PROGRAMME
Food for the Poor and the Salvation Army's joint feeding programme will be providing nourishment for between 800-1,000 street people tomorrow at The Salvation Army's William Chamberlain Men's Hostel and Welfare Centre on Peters Lane, downtown Kingston.
A complete Christmas meal of chicken, ham, rice and peas and other traditional Christmas dishes will be served at tables provided for comfortable dining. Groups of 150 persons will be accommodated at a time throughout the day.
There will be distribution of gift packages of food, shoes, and toiletries and it is expected to be well supported. "We have a regular feeding programme, but at Christmas larger numbers turn out," said Mr. Finzi-Smith.
The daily feeding programme has been running for the last 15 years, accommodating approximately 800 persons each day who are provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This massive group is fed via a partnership between Food for the Poor who provides the food and the Salvation Army who prepares and distributes it.
Food for the Poor will continue its initiative into the new year as 70 street persons have agreed to be relocated to Cluster B of the Golden Age Home in Vineyard Town that is being refurbished by the organisation.
"We have held interviews with 88 street people so far and 70 said they are willing to relocate to the cluster in January when it will be opened," said Mr. Finzi-Smith. The people will be living permanently on that cluster that will be sponsored by the organisation.
The programmes for the season will include treats for children in neighbouring communities of Tawes Pen, Ellerslie Pen and Homestead, as well as the distribution of nets and fishing gear to fishermen on Farquhars Beach, Milk River, Clarendon.
