Mon | Jul 6, 2026

Housing mission - Volunteers happy to make contribution

Published:Saturday | February 25, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Pause
Group leaders Craig Rudolph (right) and Christopher Davitt relax during the lunch break on Sunday.
Cleaning up afterwards is a key part of the job and these women show they are not afraid of the hard work.
Some of the remote locations in which the Food For The Poor team operates require ingenuity. So with no piped water in the area, a water tank is mounted and taken to a worksite in Wildman Town where a pipe is attached to provide water for mixing mortar.
1
2
3

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

PORTLAND COTTAGE, Clarendon:

WHEN DANIELLE Powell heard Laurie Mahfood talking about a group of more than 50 Americans volunteering to fly down to Jamaica over the weekend to build some 21 houses for people they did not know, she got interested, even without knowing the details.

"I know Joe Mahfood's wife. Somehow we got talking about it. I had no idea this was happening in Jamaica and I expressed to her that I would be really interested in doing it, just coming down and donating my time. And then I just dragged Jessica along," related Danielle.

Jessica Folkes, a lawyer in training, shelved her plans for the weekend and allowed her physiotherapist friend to drag her along. Folkes explains how enthusiastic she was despite not having a full understanding of the mission on which they were embarking: "She told me about it and I said I'd be interested in tagging along. She didn't give me a full briefing on what exactly it was. It was just about building houses for people who have no houses. So sure, I'll do it!"

Eye-opener

When The Gleaner caught up with them at the closing ceremony, the women had put in a full two days of painting houses and admitted to being tired but much richer for the experience, according to Folkes.

"How it's set up it's very organised. It's a great thing, especially having the families come down. And you get to meet different people and are, actually, as you can see, genuinely happy to be here and happy to help. It was great!" said Folkes.

Added she: "I think most people in Jamaica will have some sort of idea, maybe not first-hand, seeing it. It was an eye-opener ... and it really makes you think about what you take for granted because it's a very stark comparison. They just needed shelter. What is built is just basic and they are just ecstatic to have it. They don't care about electricity, running water - any of that. They are just so happy to have somewhere to call their own. A really amazing thing!"

Assigned to the painting crew, Ffolkes and Powell tackled six houses and insisted that they put in some serious work under the direction of a stern supervisor who made sure that everyone was kept busy with brushes and buckets.

"A lot of people are hesitant to donate money because they don't know where it is going, but this is a very tangible thing that you can see and you are a part of, and you know that this is definitely impacting a family. It's a great experience! It was gratifying," said Folkes.


Photos by Christopher Serju