Service in the bloodline

WESTERN BUREAU:

Embedded in their bloodline, brothers Stephen and Luke Josephs are the latest torchbearers of a family deeply rooted in service to the vulnerable. Through the newly established Crisis Support Charity and Burn Foundation, the brothers are carrying on a powerful legacy.

Launched on Saturday, June 1, at the AC Hotel in Kingston, the foundation aims to provide critical support to underserved groups, with a special focus on burn victims and individuals facing severe hardship.

In an interview with The Gleaner, Stephen, the older of the brothers, described their commitment to service as a way of life, inspired by their upbringing.

“We live a life of service. We are a family of service,” said Stephen. “We grew up in a system where we saw our parents doing service. One day, I saw my dad took a homeless lady in and fed her and we actually had to help. Mommy would go to the hospital to visit the sick and shut-ins,” he recalled.

That tradition of care continues today.

“Now, when I go to the hospital, my brother, Luke, will drive, and I go into the hospital and he will wait for me until I get out because that is the life we life,” said Stephen, who is a burn patient advocate and philanthropist. “My older sister, Stephanie, has one of the largest disability treats – Inspire to Empower a Change Foundation. She partners with JUTC and over 500 disabled children are treated twice per year.”

$1M DONATION

During the launch last weekend, the foundation received a donation of $1 million from Grocery List Jamaica, a company that helps members of the diaspora purchase groceries for loved ones in Jamaica.

According to Luke, the Crisis Support Charity and Burn Foundation is urgently trying to raise US$7,500 to ship a medical container from the United States to Jamaica.

“The container is filled with beds and wheelchairs for hospitals such as Kingston Public Hospital, Spanish Town, [Bustamante] Children’s Hospital, and the National Hope Institute. If people are interested in coming on board with us to help, that would be great,” said Luke.

“We don’t mind serving our nation’s children and our people that are in need. It is a part of our bloodline. The greater support is our healthcare system (that we hope) to provide with equipment,” added Luke, who noted that they are in dialogue with the National Hope Institute about cancer research.

The burn foundation aspect is to educate the public on burn-prevention measures through healthcare support by providing medical care and rehabilitation services to burn victims. The disaster relief aspect will offer assistance to those affected by natural disasters, and the education component will support educational initiatives and programmes.

Currently, the Josephs brothers are working on a project which focuses on 11 struggling teenage mothers, through the provision of financial support.

“They come from the ... inner-city communities. We decided to go into the schools where they were and listen to their struggles,” said Stephen. “Immediately, we went into action and offered some level of financial support and brought in other donors to alleviate some of the crises they are going through.”

A teen mother, who is a part of the crisis project, revealed that she tried multiple times to commit suicide.

“I always cut myself and try to kill myself. I always bully the baby because of mental health issues. I try and fail at everything; I didn’t want to try any more. I felt down, my family is not with me since I have the baby, so I felt alone,” said the teen mother. “My mother doesn’t listen to me and tries to beat me in front of the baby. She stopped supporting me financially, so I am on my own now.

“However, because of the Crisis Foundation, I now have a little hope. They assisted me with [diapers] for my baby and cash. Also, I told them that after high school I want to be a nail technician, so the foundation reached out to HEART/NSTA Trust so I can enrol,” she added.

ashley.anguin@gleanerjm.com