COURTS JAMAICA CONSTRUCTS HOMES FOR THE NEEDY - The Gleaner - September 14, 2015

Marsha Burrell (left), development/marketing manager at Food For The Poor and Carren Royal (right), executive assistant and corporate social responsibility co-ordinator, celebrate as with Denise Russell as she opens the door to her new home.

True to its mantra of 'bringing value home', Courts Jamaica volunteers worked assiduously every Friday in August to build four homes in collaboration with Food For The Poor (FFP).

The retail furniture and appliance provider mobilised more than 100 staff members to construct housing solutions to support needy families living in undesirable conditions. As an important part of its mandate to support nation building, the company has a keen interest in community development and, to date, has assisted with building six of a 12-home partnership with FFP to be completed by March 2016.

"Courts has been a part of the lives of Jamaicans since 1959 and we recognise and value the contribution each person has made to our success. We want to continue to support the people and the communities we serve," said Dennis Harris, managing director of Courts Jamaica. On Labour Day, two homes were built and furnished for families in Trelawny and Clarendon, while in August, homes were built in St Thomas, St Ann, Westmoreland and St Catherine.

INTRIGUING STORIES

The needy families all had intriguing stories. A client of the Victim Support Unit who suffered abuse at the hands of her husband, which almost claimed her life, became the sole provider for three children and experienced tremendous difficulties maintaining a place to live. The construction of her home made a big difference in their lives and provided well-needed assistance.

A St Ann mother of five living in a derelict, one-room, board structure received a new lease on life with the improvement of her living conditions. The home also alleviated the hassle of severe overcrowding. In Westmoreland, a family of nine was able to move from their termite-infested dwelling that had a leaky roof and poor sanitary conveniences. A single mother of four children, one of whom is mentally ill and requires supervision, was living in a dilapidated structure that was beyond repair.

The homeowners all expressed their gratitude for the comfortable dwellings comprising two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchenette and a patio, with furnishing of beds, a combination chest of drawers and dresser. The handover of keys was a special moment for these families and the volunteers.

daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com

Kevin Brown, warehouse assistant at Courts Jamaica, is hard at work hand nailing the new roof of a house built to benefit a needy family in St Ann. Brown was a volunteer as part of Unicomer Jamaica’s corporate social responsibility partnership with Food for the Poor to build 12 homes islandwide.

Kaysia Mitchell, administrative assistant at Unicomer Jamaica, shows she is not afraid of hard work at a recent house building for a needy family.

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