The 2005 Gleaner Honour Awards, Gleaner Youth Honour Awards and Certificate of Merit recipients with Gleaner Chairman, Oliver Clarke (back row, centre), and members of The Gleaner board. - PHOTOS BY RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
SELFLESS GIVING has never been this rewarding! Five faith-based volunteer organisations, yesterday copped the top award at the 26th annual Gleaner Honour Awards luncheon.
This year, instead of just one person walking away with the prestigious 'Man of the Year' award, the Salvation Army, Food For the Poor (FFP), the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Pentecostal Tabernacle and the St. Andrew Settlement, all received the high honour.
The five organisations got the award for the life-altering service they provide to the most needy Jamaicans every day.
This year alone, the Salvation Army offered 52 academic scholar-ships for inner-city children, ran a drug rehabilitation programme, as well as a residential and street-feeding programme, six days a week. This translated to 700 meals each day.
STREET PRAYER PROGRAMME
Meanwhile, Pentecostal Tabernacle on Wildman Street, central Kingston has, in recent times, stepped up its community outreach programmes in a bid to address the escalating levels of violence in its immediate and surrounding inner-city communities.
The church made the decision in 1999 to begin prayer on the streets. The street prayer programme later evolved into community Sunday School ministries in a number of communities.
The church also operates a basic school and a computer lab which has provided needed skills to community residents.
FFP, another awardee, keeps people alive. It is as simple as that. The group contributes to education, by supplying the nation's schools with furniture, computers and stationery. More than 500 schools across the island benefit from the FFP school-feeding programme, which assists students with breakfast, lunch and books.
The organisation also provides ambulances, medicine, food and wheel chairs to hospitals, clinics and public homes. And the group builds an average of 250 homes for the destitute every month.
The St. Andrew Settlement, run by the St. Andrew Anglican Diocese is also a life saver for residents of Majesty Gardens.
The church first became involved in the community in 1965, establishing a settlement there, to meet the needs of residents.
Forty years later the 'St. Andrew Settlement' is stronger than ever.
Located off Spanish Town Road within Majesty Gardens, the Settlement's compound houses a basic school, health centre, dental centre and sports clubs. It also facilitates training for woodwork and sewing.
AID TO HURRICANE VICTIMS
Meanwhile, ADRA, the arm of the Seventh Day Adventist church that deals with humanitarian disaster relief and community building has been extremely busy this year.
The agency has been providing assistance to victims of Hurricane Ivan since the monster hurricane struck the island last year September. ADRA's Hurricane Ivan relief work has already exceeded $300 million.
Just after the hurricane hit, ADRA undertook major projects across the island, repairing homes that were damaged, which in many cases involved providing entire new roofs.
ADRA also provided monetary grants to the needy. This, in an effort to help them get back on their feet after a year full of hardships.
Responding on behalf of all five awardees yesterday, Bishop Alfred Reid of the St. Andrew Settlement was modest. "I accept the award not only on behalf of the five organizations, but for all the faith based groups doing work across the country. Especially those in the rural areas which may not receive the attention they deserve."
Bishop Reid said that, given the islandwide networks they command, churches are in an ideal position to provide help to the helpless, wherever they are.
He praised The Gleaner for initiating the Honour Awards.
"These awards celebrate goodness, kindness and humanitarianism as qualities that define us as Jamaican people," he said.
OTHER AWARDEES
But these organizations were not the only awardees. The Gleaner, in a bid to highlight the good happening in the island, also honoured three students with the special Youth Honour Award for excellence in education.
They were Pooja Gurnani, top performing girl in the 2005 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), Stacey-Ann Pearson, the 2005 Gleaner/Children's Own Spelling Bee champion and Andrew Lyle, who achieved a remarkable record of two 'A's and 14 'A+'s in his degree programme at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Said The Gleaner's Editor in Chief, Garfield Grandison: "It is our pleasure to report the good news happening in our island. We are often bombarded with images of suffering and injustice. But these awardees show that our children are preparing for a better tomorrow".
In total, five organizations and 15 individuals received Honour and Merit Awards. Other Honour Award recipients were: Pat Ramsay for Arts and Culture and Michael Lee-Chin, Raymond Chang and Vincent Hosang for business.
Dr. Rae Davis was honoured for Public Service, Professor Denise Eldemire-Shearer for Health and Wellness, Trecia-Kaye Smith for Sports and Professor Edward Robinson for Science and Technology. Claudette Pious received the award for Entertainment and Sheila Nicholson for Voluntary Service.
Merit Certificates were presented to social worker Elsie Sayle for Voluntary Service and Dr. Barbara Carby for Public Service.
