Hundreds get Christmas care packages

More than 300 Christ Church residents have benefitted from a Christmas give-back initiative organised by entrepreneur and business advisor Janal Browne.

While visiting two of the benefactors on Friday at the Berinda Cox Fish Market in Oistins, Browne told reporters that amid hard economic times, he wanted to spread Christmas cheer to vulnerable residents in two constituencies.

He and his team donated more than 100 hampers, which consisted of dry goods, more than 100 toys for children, and more than 100 whole chickens to people in Christ Church South and Christ Church East Central.

Browne said: “We are targeting the elderly and children.

Sometimes elderly people are neglected and I think it is important to show them kindness during this season. We met a lot of people from Ashby Land, Welches and Maxwell and there were some people who really touched our hearts.

Unfortunately, we can’t give to the entire community but we wanted to zero in on the elderly who made a significant contribution to the development of these specific areas and the island in general.”

He added that this was his eighth community project for the year and he wanted to end the year making sure that those in need had a quality Christmas experience, regardless of their circumstances.

Browne, a justice of the peace, said he carefully selected the benefactors of the initiative during his monthly walk-throughs in Christ Church districts.

Veteran fish vendor Lucille Clarke, 88, of Ashby Land, said she was grateful for the kind gesture. She added that she loved working in the fish market, where she began working at age 14 because of its strong sense of community and togetherness. (SZB)