Opening your hearts and wallets

Open Heart Charitable Mission needs assistance

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:Saddled with a $10,000-per-day budget to feed St James' indigent population, the Montego Bay-based Open Heart Charitable Mission is appealing to residents and business interests in the western parish to open their wallets and their hearts to support its cause.

"We are a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, and our programmes and administrative costs are sustained through donations and the support of others who have partnered with us," said Enamay Waunliss, administrator at Open Heart Charitable Mission. "We are doing a fish fry fund-raiser on April 1 as a part of our bid to raise some well-needed funds for the mission.

"Tickets cost an affordable $500 for adults and $250 for children, and deliveries can be arranged where possible.

"We are just asking everyone to support this cause as it will be going towards the persons that are more vulnerable during these challenging economic times."

The Open Heart Charitable Mission operates a care centre for the homeless on Orange Street in downtown Montego Bay and a night shelter for the same purpose in Albion, on the outskirts of the western city.

While the organisation operates in a partnership arrangement with the St James Parish Council, the Open Heart Charitable Mission has to generate its own funding to sustain its outreach efforts and the administrative costs it incurs on a daily basis.

SEEKING HELP

With no choice but to go out and engage the public in the hope that those who are generous at heart will heed the call for help, Waunliss said she wants as many persons as possible to come on-board, and whatever assistance is received would be greatly appreciated.

"We are not funded by the Government, so we just have to depend on sponsors to sustain the initiatives," said Waunliss. "If you don't have money to donate but you have some food items, clothes, or toiletries, you can give those. Those little donations can go a far way to help us help others who really need it."

Recently, reggae artiste Edge Michael teamed up with the Open Heart Charitable Mission and financed one day's feeding programme, much to the delight of the charitable entity.