Home, sweet home!
Published:Thursday | September 15, 2022 | 12:10 AM
Dezreen Miller and Anita Stephenson, the mother and daughter from Olympic Gardens whose heartbreaking story was highlighted by The Gleaner on August 20, are now comfortably settled in a new home.
The house was constructed on Wednesday by Food For The Poor Jamaica in partnership with financial donor Bogle’s Property Services.
Miller and Stephenson were previously living for more than five years in a caved-in structure after a tree collapsed, leaving the zinc shack vulnerable to rainy weather and criminals.
It took the team less than 24 hours to construct the new structure.
Miller, who assisted with painting the boards for the house, told The Gleaner that he heart was filled with joy.
“I feel happy! I love what they do for me. I hope God just continue to help them so that they can continue to help the needy,” she said.
Stephenson, who was teaching at Seaward Primary and Infant School during the construction, said she will now be able to sleep comfortably at nights.
She was especially happy to no longer have to bail water out of a flooded home.
Stephenson, who has just started her first job, was treated on the eve of the academic year’s commencement to hair styling and new work clothes at Eugent Dawes Express Salon and Maxie Department Store, respectively.
Nicholas Bogle, managing director of Bogle’s Property Services, said he and his employees were thrilled to have sponsored the construction project.
“The partnership with Food For The Poor is something we wanted to do for a long time now. We are two years in business and our anniversary is the 23rd of September, so we wanted to do something for the anniversary,” Bogle told The Gleaner.
Bogle said he and his team of 12 were stirred when the case was brought to their attention.
“Once you see the story and then when you see the family, you can realise why we had to do something. The need was so great,” he said.
He pledged to have further collaboration with Food For The Poor in the future.
Marsha Burrell Rose, the charity’s marketing manager, pleaded with Jamaicans to keep making donations to Food For The Poor.
Online donations to Food For The Poor can be made through its website at https://foodforthepoorja.org/donate_method.php.