After the devastation of losing everything to a fire in May 2018, a St Lucy family once again has their own place to call home.
On Saturday evening, the three-bedroom house, located at Well Road in Pie Corner, was handed over to the grateful Murphy family. The brief ceremony was attended by members of the team who worked to ensure that the family regained some semblance of normalcy. The project, which started in November 2022, was spearheaded by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
After the home was blessed by Pastor Antonio Corbin, there was an air of elation as the keys to the house, valued at $125,000, were handed over. The return to their own home was especially important for the matriarch of the family Carmen Murphy. The blind, double amputee was afforded the honour of cutting the ribbon to enter their new residence.
As her daughter Christine Murphy turned the keys she was overcome with emotion. She expressed, “There are so many words, I cannot express the joy. The tears, everything that happened, coming from four years to this point right now, I am so overjoyed. I just want to thank everyone who put their hands in this project to build back this house for my mother and her family. I am overjoyed!” The Murphy’s are scheduled to move in immediately.
On hand for the presentation was Verla DePeiza, the DLP candidate for St. Lucy in the last election. Having learnt of the families plight while canvassing, the team remain undeterred in their efforts to help them even though they were initially uncertain about how they would be able to fund the project.
However, with the generosity of members of the community and corporate Barbados they were able to accomplish their goal for the vulnerable family.
“Thank you to all of you who came out to the Fish Fry, the dances, the Old Year’s Night fete, everything that we held to make this project get off the ground,” DePeiza said. “Every little penny counted, those who gave one dollar or those who gave a thousand dollars, they are all equally a part of this effort.”
She added, “Carmen tonight will be the best sleep you had in a long, long time because you are at you. There is no better feeling than being at yourself.”
As Depeiza addressed the gathering she became emotional as she realized one of the youngest members of the household was crying, overcome with the significance of the ceremony. De Peiza stated, “I am pleased to be a part of this project, I am pleased that all of you were a part of this project and to the Murphy family I say you will forever be a part of us, as I know we will forever be a part of you.”
Retired Senior Superintendent of Police Morgan Greaves was instrumental in the success of the project. Plans are already underway to provide accommodations for Tyrone Murphy, another member of the family who was displaced by the fire. Greaves has already sourced the estimates and confirmed, “If I get my hands on $4,000, it will be erected.”
Returning the family to their own space was truly a community effort, with contributions being sourced locally and from regional counterparts. Greaves acknowledged that all the churches in the area had contributed significantly. Among the numerous corporate contributors were BRC, who were credited with providing the permaclad and steel for the job, and Omega Pest Control who ensured that the necessary treatments were done. Receiving services at heavily reduced prices from the corporate community aided the progression of the project.
DLP President Dr. Ronnie Yearwood stated, “Often people think that politics has no place with doing good, but politics can be the hallmark, when done correctly, of doing good. Here you have a party, you have a constituency, you have neighbourhoods, you have business, you have people, everyone coming together to do good, to be an example for the rest of this country .”
He assured politics can be the ultimate call to service. (STT)
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