GraceKennedy At 95 – A Shining Example Of Corporate Success

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This year marks 95 years since the GraceKennedy Group was founded. Starting life as Grace, Kennedy and Company Limited in Kingston, Jamaica, in February 1922, the company has survived many challenges over the period to become a name which Jamaicans – at home and abroad – can truly be proud of.

Founded by Dr John J. Grace and Fred William Kennedy, who both worked for Grace Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Company of New York, GraceKennedy in its early days was involved in the sugar industry, and the importation of products, chief among which were salt fish and fertiliser.

This was at a time when other companies and the government of the day were looking to the mother country – England – for economic solutions. The company broke with tradition and pursued business opportunities in new exciting frontiers such as in the United States of America and Canada.

Establishing the philosophy ‘Take what is good for Jamaica and make it good for GraceKennedy’, throughout the years, the company has sought to make itself a partner in Jamaica’s development – with government, its shareholders, employees and with the wider community.

 

NATIONAL PRIDE

The company’s emergence coincided with the global recovery from the devastating World War I a few years earlier. Bouyed by a combination of entrepreneurial spirit and national pride, GraceKennedy pursued interests in importing, exporting and insurance, and steadily established its distribution network throughout rural Jamaica.

During this time also, the company developed a tradition of rewarding hard work and loyalty of the ‘small man’ – becoming perhaps the first company to offer shares to its employees in 1924. The adoption of accounting practices of the highest international standards has served GraceKennedy well.

Throughout the many decades of its existence, GraceKennedy has been involved in most aspects of Jamaica’s economy, such as the manufacture and distribution of a range of foods and soap products, salt, and motorcycles; shipping; contract farming; banking; insurance; investments; and money services, among other enterprises. By earning from multiple sources, the company has been able to survive and do well even during difficult times..

 

Committed To Jamaica

In 2012, GraceKennedy, through its more than 60 subsidiaries in more than 60 countries worldwide, recorded before-tax revenues of more than $60 billion. It is considered one of the blue-chip companies on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and the most successful local business entity in Jamaican history.

With all its success, GraceKennedy has not abandoned its roots in downtown Kingston and continues to maintain its headquarters there. As a demonstration of its commitment to Kingston, it is in the process of expanding its presence with the development of new corporate offices scheduled to be completed in late 2018. GraceKennedy thrives from the opportunities presented from its proximity downtown to transportation – by sea, air and land; as well as legal, accounting and telecommunications services. Also, by operating downtown, GraceKennedy, is among the companies which have signalled long-term commitment to the city’s renewal.

GraceKennedy has established two charitable foundations through which it channels lasting contributions to nation building. The Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation, a partnership between the company’s management and staff, was established in 1979 in response to the poor social and economic conditions existing in the inner-city communities surrounding the company’s headquarters. Chief among the Grace and Staff Foundation’s activities is the GraceKennedy Education Run held annually in July.

 

EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP

The GraceKennedy Foundation focuses mostly on education for the long-term benefit of Jamaica, offering a range of scholarships and grants at the secondary and tertiary levels.

Central to GraceKennedy’s success has been the visionary leadership brought by Luis Fred Kennedy, the legendary Carlton Alexander, A. Rafael Diaz, Douglas Orane and the present Chief Executive Officer, Don Wehby. The combination of principled leadership, loyal staff and data-driven decision-making have developed a diversified business that today includes banking and financial services, remittances, insurance, manufacturing, retail and distribution.

The company has adjusted its focus from being a Jamaican food company to being an international food and financial services conglomerate serving Jamaicans across the globe, as well as people from other countries who share in the delight of the high-quality products and world-class services for which the company is known. GraceKennedy’s presence is not only felt in the Caribbean, Europe and North America, but is growing rapidly in Africa, the ancestral home of most Jamaicans.

Without doubt, GraceKennedy will continue to impact positively on the lives of Jamaicans as it closes in on an illustrious century.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170214/gracekennedy-95-shining-example-corporate-success

 

 

GraceKennedy — an amazing company in an extraordinary time

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When Jamaicans reach for a wide array of the now familiar products bearing the Grace brand on supermarket and grocery shelves at home and abroad, they know that they are assured of 95 years of quality born of the passion and the exquisite taste of a demanding island people and an amazing company.

That has been a feat of no mean order.

Dr John Grace and Fred William Kennedy, on Valentine’s Day 1922 took on the ambitious task of packaging Jamaica’s favourite and most tasty food products and sharing them at their best quality, not only with countrymen at home, but also with those in the wider Caribbean and in the diaspora.

For the founding fathers, the company was birthed with a heart of love for the products, the consumers and employees, and a commitment to deliver at the highest standard and good value regardless of circumstances.

Now, just shy of a century later, the passion of those modest beginnings has grown and reverberated throughout the Group in the 16 countries where GraceKennedy has operating plants, and its wider reach to more than 60 countries around the world.

Known first for its food products that are synonymous with quality and nutrition, the Grace brand is a solid and confident declaration of the best of Jamaica that meets the taste test every time and exudes the warmth of the people who inspire its existence.

Today the company has expanded its product line to become a cutting-edge leader in financial services, providing safe, secure, convenient world-class financial services that make it possible for Jamaicans to do business easily.

GraceKennedy is often a pioneer in technological services and has introduced several innovations through First Global Bank, GK General Insurance, Allied Insurance Brokers, FX Trader, Bill Express, and through its partnership with Western Union as its exclusive representative in Jamaica and 10 other Caribbean countries.

For Jamaicans who rely on relatives in the diaspora for regular and critical financial support, their “pots can be put on fire” with the firm assurance that through its remittance service, GraceKennedy will deliver.

In the Caribbean islands, the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, Grace is a real-life demonstration of the potential of a Caribbean island company that has attained solid international presence and respect. This is supported by strong local roots.

For small farmers in the deep rural communities, Grace is the certain hope that a reliable market is available for the choice fruits of their back-breaking labour. When GraceKennedy began producing canned items in 1959, starting with their Vienna sausages, citrus and vegetable farmers were next in line to benefit as the company quickly followed on with the packaging of ketchup, tin fruit juices, vegetables and bottled juices.

But it was the GraceKennedy agro-processing plant at Hounslow, St Elizabeth, that broadened the scope for hundreds of small pepper farmers who now have a guaranteed market for their produce. With a certain and stable market, farmers are better able to plan and to support their families from their endeavours.

But the most basic and far-reaching surety is in the high quality of the food supplied under the Grace brand. There is no second-guessing the fact that the standard of Jamaican food is the Grace standard.

GraceKennedy’s foray into banking and insurance does not depart from the quality performance of the group over its near 100 years in business.

The company sees it as its business to develop new initiatives that help its brands and advance and enhance the lives of its customers and employees.

Initiatives like the expansion of the banking facilities and the recent US$8-million investment in the expansion of the Hi Lo Food Stores not only create employment, but also give easy access to all.

For the GraceKennedy Group, caring begins at home and the company ensures that its employees are fully on-board with its commercial push, while also encouraging their fullest participation in its strong charity outreach programmes. In 1925, employees were invited to purchase shares at par. With a stake in the business, employees became owners of the promise and potential of the Grace brand.

It was therefore not by accident that this powerful approach gave birth to the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation in 1979 and the GraceKennedy Foundation in 1982. These foundations have contributed mentoring, tutoring and also millions in support of persons in need, especially students.

Funds from the GraceKennedy Foundation have been distributed through the Carlton Alexander Bursary, while the Grace and Staff Foundation operates six homework centres, including a STEM Centre at Parade Gardens, downtown Kingston, among other programmes.

Those who live in Jamaica, are Jamaican or admirers of the Jamaican culture from afar, would have felt the unmistakable impact of its ‘Grace’. The achievements of GraceKennedy speak to Jamaica’s highest aspirations and their deepest yearning for the good life.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/GraceKennedy—an-amazing-company-in-an-extraordinary-time_89345

UWI Solicits Ads for Digital Network

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The University of the West Indies Development and Endowment Fund (UWIDEF) is urging corporate bodies to advertise on its digital platform which it has branded MonaView.

Proceeds raised from the ads finance scholarships, bursaries, capital improvement projects, and meal vouchers for students, the university has said.

MonaView is the first and only digital signage network operating at the University of the West Indies’ Mona and Western Jamaica campuses and the University Hospital of the West Indies, with a reach of approximately 80,000 weekly, the university announced. The network broadcasts advertisements on television screens in 11 locations.

At a luncheon the UWIDEF hosted for members of the Advertising Agencies Association of Jamaica (AAAJ) at the the Courtleigh Hotel a week-and-a-half ago, Dr Earl Jarrett, JN general manager, and UWIDEF board director said that advertising with MonaView had cost his company some $2 million less than it would have with other media.

He called on UWI graduates to follow his example and advertise with MonaView in order to provide more scholarships to promising students of humble means.

“We believe that by selling advertisements we not only earn resources to help students in real need, we also provide an outlet for organisations to participate in corporate social responsibility with real returns,” executive director of UWIDEF, Carla Seaga, told the gathering.

This is accomplished, she explained, as the resources from the advertisements offer a very affordable advertising opportunity and the resources assist UWIDEF to accomplish its mission of assistance at Mona.

President of the AAAJ, Kingsley Morris, assured UWIDEF of the support of the members of his organisation.

“We thank UWIDEF for sharing this information with us,” he said. “We look forward to working along with you to promote our clients’ goods and services.”

UWIDEF is the main fund-raising arm for projects that support the development of the UWI Mona campus. Over a 25-year period, it has contributed over $800 million to the university for research, development, health and scholarships. In 2016 alone, UWIDEF provided scholarship assistance valued at more than $4 million to students in various fields of study. Dennis Lalor is its founder and chairman.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/UWI-solicits-ads-for-digital-network_88609

75-year-old Portlander wins $10 million

Grand prize winners in the J Wray & Nephew Ltd’s $10 million ‘Q is the Key to Cash 4 Life’ competition, Howard Cover and Mark Brown, are men on a mission.

Both men entered the competition with others on their minds. For Mark Brown, while helping his sister with her baking, deep in his heart he yearned to provide critical assistance to his own children overseas. Howard Cover, at the same time, was hoping to win the prize so he could fund his grandchildren’s education.

When the 75-year-old Cover of Portland received a call informing him that he won a prize in the competition, he did not expect his winnings to be $10 million in cash.

Up to the hour when he met with a team from J Wray & Nephew in Port Antonio on January 30, he still did not believe he had won the grand prize. He thought it was a simple prize as he had won numerous phone credits during the 14 weeks of the competition.

However, when the cheque of $10 million was unveiled to him, he started to cry. It was the first time in his life that he was winning something so grand.

“I feel great. I am so excited I can hardly talk,” Cover said with teary eyes before reaching into his car for something to wipe his tears and for his dark glasses to cover his eyes.

“I read about the competition in the newspaper and I doubled up on my purchase of Qs and entered. I kept winning credit but I am now happy I won one of the grand prizes,” he said, before adding, “I am going to buy some property, invest some otherwise, mostly in farming and real estate. I also want to help my three grandchildren who are 16, 10 and eight years from my winnings. I would like for them to get a good education, so that is what I am aiming at.”

Cover said that he had been facing some financial challenges which the $10 million will eliminate from his life.

“I am very happy. They are so many things I can now achieve and overcome,” he said.

Both Cover and Brown entered their winning codes from Wray Rum Qs they purchased.

Like Cover, Brown a 46-year-old resident of St Catherine, wants to help others with the money he won.

According to Pietro Gramegna, Marketing Manager, J Wray & Nephew Limited, the winners of the competition are both deserving and exemplary examples of the brand’s proud, undiluted strength.

“Every day heroes are those who work hard day in and day out to take care of their loved ones. Consumers like Cover and Brown keep the Jamaican spirit going, and weare honoured for their brand of choice to be Wray & Nephew White Overproof spirit. They are embodiments of our key message Our Spirit, we are happy to assist in making their dreams now a reality,” Gramegna said.

The Q is the Key to Cash 4 Life competition, which began in October and lasted for 14 weeks, closed at the end of January. During that period, there were millions of dollars given away in prizes of cash and credit.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/75-year-old-Portlander-wins–10-million_88444

RJRGLEANER Employee Wins $10M In ‘Q Is The Key To Cash 4 Life’

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When Mark Brown, an employee of The RJRGleaner Communi-cations Group, bought Qs of Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum to assist his sister with adding flavour to her Christmas cakes, little did he know there was a blessing of $10 million in return for him.

Brown is now one of two grand prize winners in the recently concluded J. Wray & Nephew ‘Q is the Key to Cash 4 Life’ competition.

Brown saved every Q he bought to help his sister, and entered the codes via text as instructed for the competition, and on January 29 he was told of his life-changing win.

“I feel elated, excited, nervous, blessed and favoured. This is something I have been praying for – a financial blessing. I think God has actually blessed me today,” said Brown, who was just returning home from church when the team from J.Wray & Nephew Limited announced his victory to him.

“The only thing I can do is give God thanks and praise for it. This is my breakthrough. I have prayed for it and a lot of people have prayed for it to happen for me too, and I am just giving thanks for it,” added Brown, before calling his mother to tell her the good news.

HOW HE WILL SPEND IT

When asked how he plans to spend the money, the first thing he could think of doing were acts of kindness.

“I have some family members who I want to help and my children overseas. I can now put towards their college fund. Last month, I borrowed a major loan to take care of some things, but if I knew this was going to happen I wouldn’t have done that,” said Brown.

Howard Cover, a resident of Portland, is the other grand prize winner of the ‘Q is the Key to Cash 4 Life’ competition. Like Brown, he intends to use his winnings to give to those in need, especially his family members.

“I have three grandchildren whom I want to help with the money. I want to see to it that they get a good education. They are 16, 10 and eight. I am also going to buy some property with the money, invest some otherwise, mostly in farming, which is what I know about,” said Cover.

According to Pietro Gramegna, marketing manager, J. Wray & Nephew Limited, the company is elated that it could have enriched the lives of two deserving Jamaicans.

“We at J. Wray & Nephew Limited are always envisioning ways to enrich the lives of our consumers. With the ‘Q is the Key to Cash 4 Life’ promotion, two flasks of Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum allowed two loyal consumers to become real millionaires,” said Gramegna.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170205/rjrgleaner-employee-wins-10m-q-key-cash-4-life

Home for the elderly to get help from Digicel Foundation

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Way back in 1978, Bob Marley, Lloyd Ferguson, and Tappa Zukie came up with the concept of building a home for the elderly in Trench Town, St Andrew.

Political violence was rearing its ugly head in the tough concrete jungle, and according to Ferguson, he and his friends were heartbroken by the fact that persons were relocating to other communities and the elderly were being left behind.

“We were just trying to reach out to elderly people here in the community and elsewhere who couldn’t help themselves,” Ferguson, manager of the home, told THE STAR.

Seven residents now live at the home, which is in need of infrastructural upgrades and other support.

“A nuff fix up this want,” Ferguson said. “This home is ever in need of any help we can get from corporate Jamaica,”

Ferguson recalled that Bob Marley was passionate about the home, but his death in 1981 meant he would not see it take shape.

However, with the untimely demise of the reggae legend, a group of Swiss, who were in Jamaica, took an interest in Trench Town. They raised thousands of dollars in Switzerland, which they sent back to Jamaica. The money was used to set up the Eira Schader Home for the Aged.

He said that the home now gets funding through the Bob Marley Foundation to the tune of $34,000 per month, which in insufficient to pay bills at the facility.

“We never really go out and ask anybody to help us because a we deal with it and keep it alive,” said Ferguson, who adds that employees at the facility work for meagre wages.

“This was Bob’s dream. I just sorry say Bob gone,” Ferguson said, noting that the home has been in operation since 1986.

The Eira Schader Home will be the beneficiary of funds collected from the sale of VIP tickets at this year’s staging of Redemption Live. The concert, which is free to the public, is being held in honour of reggae icon Bob Marley. VIP tickets will also be on sale for $4,000 each.

Just recently, Digicel Foundation joined forces with the home in an attempt to further develop a vegetable garden.

“We’ve also chosen to work with them to create a vegetable garden, and we’ve gone even further to connect them with representatives from RADA to ensure the activity can be sustained. This gives the residents an opportunity to enjoy a farm-to-table experience while spending quality time outdoors,” said Patrice Smith-Sterling, social enterprise and special projects manager at the Digicel Foundation.

Ferguson said that he welcomes any assistance that is now being provided. He added that if the home is repaired, it may be able to accommodate about 20 senior citizens.

Source: http://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20170201/home-elderly-get-help

Food For The Poor Looks To Break New Ground

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Charity eyes special emergency-response team

Requests for emergency assistance for victims of natural disasters, fire and other tragedies are a feature of the workday for employees of Food For The Poor (FFP). However, one such phone call from Dr Omar Davies, member of parliament for St Andrew South, about a fire in Arnett Gardens late last year presented some challenges.

The call came about 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, a Saturday, and, with the following Monday and Tuesday being public holidays, there would be no one in office for at least the next three days.

With the appeal being for immediate assistance for the fire victims – mattresses, food and clothing at least – the agency responded.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

However, FFP Chairman Andrew Mahfood, acknowledged the situation highlighted the need for a specialised emergency response team to deal with such situations.

“I would actually like to see us be able to do that as well, because we are dealing with a situation where the people don’t have a place to sleep tonight. So if we can even get them some emergency supplies like mattresses, or clothing so they can at least get on their feet the next day, that would be good,” he told The Gleaner.

Proof of ownership impacting assistance in inner-city areas 

Andrew Mahfood, chairman of Food For the Poor, says the organisation’s ability to assist with the building of homes for persons in the inner city is being stymied by the beneficiaries’ inability to provide proof of ownership of the land or legal access to occupy the premises.

“It is one of the things that delays our effort considerably. If we were able to go into an area like Arnett (Gardens), where people have been living for many years, and just rebuild, the process would happen quicker, but we require proof of land ownership or lease, to show that they have the right to be on the land, to show that the taxes have been paid on the land. We need to ensure that our recipients have the right to be on the spot that we are building,” Mahfood said.

“What we’ve found in the past is that if we don’t follow those guidelines and regulations, we could end up building on lands that somebody else owns and then before you know it, somebody else comes and says, ‘You have to come out of that house, it’s my land’. But if we can somehow find a way where the lands in the inner city, the people can get the right to them, somehow it will speed up our efforts considerably.”

Charity organisation seeking to engage in community-development projects

Food For The Poor (FFP) is looking to partner with the State in community development in a more sustainable way, involving the construction of houses, community centres, places of worship, schools, etc.

“(The State) could give us plots of land where we can encourage community-type living and farming and co-operative-type. We’ve approached them and we’ve gotten initially some good feedback and it’s something we’re gonna have more discussion on. Agriculture presents a great opportunity for us and the people, given Food For The Poor’s ability to fund agriculture and water harvesting where you can put multiple tanks together with a source and feed it. Food For The Poor can, out in those tanks, we can put in pumps,” Food For the Poor Chairman Andrew Mahfood disclosed.

The charity organisation is now looking for recipients who are serious about getting into agriculture, especially with donors in the United States opting more to fund income-generating sustainable projects in agriculture, with water harvesting and sanitation issues a priority.

Said Mahfood: “We’re looking for areas where we can put in big water projects because donors in the United States are very interested in water, in being able to provide water and being able to provide sanitation. Those two areas we are finding our donors gravitating more towards. So let’s say that we have this project in a community, there is no running water. We can go and put in 30,000 gallons but once we confirm that there is a need, the office in Florida will then go to its donors and circulate it and get it funded.”

LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORT

In the area of housing financing, which caters to individuals or families, more local businesses are taking an active interest by sponsoring 50 per cent of the cost of a standard Food For The Poor dwelling, which now stands at US$7,200. The charity organisation is quick to match any amount of such offers with a 50 per cent contribution.

Over the three-and-a-half decades of helping the less fortunate, political interference in its operations has been a non-issue, which Mahfood attributes to an appreciation of its stellar service.

“Our politicians and our Government, I think, do recognise that we can play a big role for the country and for them as well. If an MP is able to lobby Food For The Poor to do a lot of work in their area, it helps them. We don’t work with any particular MP. We want to work with every single MP in both parties. I believe that Jamaica, through the organisation, has a huge potential to do a lot more projects and we see those projects being funded in other countries. So one of the things that we have decided to for this year is to really mock up some very big projects and go after those donors in America that are funding the very same projects for other countries.”

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170130/food-poor-looks-break-new-ground

New JMMB Her Wealth offering targets women

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A recent study conducted by the International Labour Organization identified Jamaica as one of the top three countries where ‘the boss’ is likely to be female. These statistics in the study Women in Business and Management, Gaining Momentum are not surprising, as women account for more than 70 per cent of students enrolled at the tertiary level in major local universities.

Climbing the corporate ladder marks a different, if not new, milestone for women, as they have stood the test of time, often seeking work/life balance — in the case of working mothers — even as they juggle varying roles while pursuing their dreams.

In support of the empowerment of women to achieve their financial goals, the JMMB Group has announced the introduction of JMMB Her Wealth, a complete package of financial solutions which includes investments, loans, savings facilities and insurance. As part of the customisation of the offerings to better cater to women, JMMB also provides a maternity loan, and coverage of handbag contents against theft as part of their motor vehicle insurance offering.

According to JMMB Jamaica Country Manager Kisha Anderson, women have shown their continued intention to attain financial success in Jamaica.

“We aim to facilitate and assist our clients to achieve their goals. This new offering is in response to a perceived gap that has been identified in the market, and research that suggests the need for financial institutions to deepen their relationship with women in order to meet their unique financial needs,” she explained.

Anderson says JMMB Her Wealth is designed as a special and remarkable vehicle for this purpose, and is the first of its kind in the market.

The JMMB Her Wealth packaged solution also includes a rewards programme that offers JMMB Her Wealth clients special access to discounts (or other benefits) of up to 20 per cent from partnering companies.

The partners selected to be a part of the JMMB Her Wealth Rewards programme are established organisations that offer support services that are typically utilised by women in their daily lives. These include auto servicing and maintenance; food; home care; medical services; counselling; beauty and spa services; computers and accessories; and children’s products and accessories.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/allwoman/issues/New-JMMB-Her-Wealth-offering-targets-women_87598

Food For The Poor assists corn farmers

For hundreds of farmers across Jamaica, a single bag of corn seeds represents a great improvement not only for the quality of their harvest, but also for the betterment of their lives.

More than 1,200 bags of corn seeds were donated by Food For The Poor Jamaica to be distributed through the Jamaica Agricultural Society and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority across all parishes.

Omar Dennis, a farmer of 15 years, has seen positive changes since he received the seeds in August 2016.

Dennis, who is the sole breadwinner of his family, said reaping the produce from the donated corn seeds has benefited his family. In the past, he sometimes struggled to send his two children, ages 8 and 11, to school due to lack of funds.

“Now I am sure that I will be going home with money for my family. It feels good to know that I am able to provide food for them and I am sure that my children can go to school,” Dennis said.

Dennis expressed gratitude to Food For The Poor Jamaica for providing the seeds, which he could not afford to buy.

Corn seeds are very expensive. One bag of corn seed would actually cost us approximately J$30,000, so it is really a great venture,” he added.

Dennis Roberts, who has farmed for 30 years, expressed happiness with the high-quality crop that the corn seeds produced.

“It’s among the best quality that we have seen since planting corn for over the last 20 years,” he said.

Roberts added that the corn was able to survive the drought and resist diseases better than what he had grown in the past.

He also praised the charity for its contribution to farmers.

“We will save as a result of not having to purchase fertilisers, which means we will earn a greater profit,” Roberts said.

David Mair, executive director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, said the charity and its donors recognise the importance of agriculture to Jamaica’s development.

“Distributions such as this and our continued support of members of the agricultural sector represent our belief that agriculture is critical to Jamaica achieving socioeconomic growth,” Mair said.

Food For The Poor Jamaica contributes to farmers across Jamaica through its agricultural ministry and a number of initiatives.

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Source: http://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20170130/food-poor-assists-corn-farmers

Food For The Poor Going Places

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In 35 years of operation, the role of Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica, as well as the scope of its operations, has grown significantly as the charity continues to enable and enrich beneficiaries within and far beyond local shores.

As news of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti spread, following the widespread devastation by Hurricane Matthew last October, Jamaicans turned to FFP as a channel for their good intentions, a situation which Chairman Andrew Mahfood admits caught him off-guard.

“The Haiti relief, that was amazing. We started to get a couple calls right after the hurricane, and I am not sure if it’s because of how close it came to us, but the outpouring of support from Jamaica to us, to give to Haiti, was something we hadn’t seen before. Seventeen containers were shipped and J$12 million raised,” Mahfood told The Gleaner.

From humble beginnings at Emerald Road, Kingston, from which goods brought into the island through the Catholic Relief Service in 1982 were distributed, the phenomenal growth of the local chapter of this charitable non-profit organisation has been consistent with that of its parent company. Food For The Poor is the largest charity organisation in Jamaica, with Food For The Poor Incorporated, located in Florida, United States of America (USA), being the largest international relief and development organisation in the USA, assisting the poor in 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

“We did start as Food For The Poor, giving away food, but now the objectives of the organisation are so vast – housing, medical, social outreach, education, prison ministries, water and sanitation and agriculture,” the chairman explained.

He offered an explanation as to why more donors are looking to share of their bounty through the non-denominational entity. “I think what is happening is that we are connecting more with corporate Jamaica and through the good efforts of the media and the reporting on all the stuff that we do, that connection is growing. They are seeing the wide range of things that we are doing.”

People flock from far and wide to the head office of Food For The Poor (FFP) Jamaica at Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town, in St Catherine, as soon as the doors open, from Monday to Friday.

There, some 135 staffers comprising what FFP Chairman Andrew Mahfood describes as “a good team out there” attend to the varied requests for assistance.

Investigators are the first responders, whether it’s a request for immediate help from a fire victim or to build a home for a family.

“Somebody has to actually go and visit the premises and say, ‘Yes, we’ve been to the location and we’ve seen the conditions they live under.’ So we get the picture and all of us see that it’s a genuine case,” Mahfood told The Gleaner.

Individuals seeking help may contact the organisation directly or through a church in their area, a pastor, justice of the peace, or member of parliament. However, FFP is working to help Jamaicans to help themselves, as well as others, Mahfood explained.

“The organisation has always felt that we have to get our recipients self-sufficient and into projects that are sustainable for them to provide an income. We believe that Jamaica provides a great opportunity for recipients to come together – either in a community and do a big agricultural project. Food For The Poor has the ability to fund those projects – put in homes, to put in, say, a community centre, to put in a place where people can go and pray, as well as schools. These are things that it can do in these communities.”

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170130/food-poor-going-places