Despite ill health, philanthropist inspired to feed homeless
Published:Monday | December 26, 2022 | 9:56 AM
Andre Williams/Staff Reporter
Battling a recently diagnosed heart condition, a philanthropist who pools limited resources with his family and friends to feed the homeless monthly is gratified by the appreciation.
Noel White spearheads the work of Team Lacks and Friends Mercy House Jamaica, a registered organisation that takes to the streets of Kingston to cater to the society's most vulnerable.
The group has been feeding the homeless for the last nine years.
“We cater to the less fortunate. We try our best to put something together for them,” White told The Gleaner.
On Christmas Eve, 75 persons received a cooked meal and 20 care packages were distributed.
White told The Gleaner that the efforts of the group are mostly funded out of pocket.
Team Lacks is grateful for contributions from sponsors such as NCB, Cari-Med, Caribbean Broilers, Yummy Bakery, Food For the Poor, Wisynco, and Buchanan's Wholesale and Liquor Store.
“Those persons have been a major driving force in assisting us to take care of persons who are less fortunate,” White said.
White said that the gratitude expressed by the homeless provides motivation to continue his fight.
“Knowing the situation that I am in, persons out here are less fortunate than I am, so we try to take our time and the best care we can to take care of them as best as we can,” he told The Gleaner.
The outskirts of the Supreme Court in Kingston were transformed into a makeshift diner as a large crowd of homeless people converged on the Christmas Eve charitable event.
Errol Warrick, a homeless man, told The Gleaner that the initiative was timely and thanked God for the benefit.
“We can't do anything without God. We give thanks for these people over the years and wish them more prosperity,” Warrick said.
Another homeless man, who gave his name as Brother Johnson, said he was grateful because Team Lacks feeds them not only at Christmas but right thoughout the year.
“It shows that they think about the less fortunate ones and they always come with packages. I love Christ and I know God bring them here for a reason,” he said.
Brother Johnson lamented that some street people were sometimes ungrateful and disorderly.
He also called for an overhaul of some facilities built to accommodate the homeless.
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