Church helps parents cut expenses
BY NADINE WILSON
Sunday Observer staff reporter
wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, August 22, 2010
REVEREND Peter Garth has one very simple philosophy: "The blessedness in being blessed is to bless others".
It is this philosophy that guides the manner in which he pastors Hope Gospel Assembly off Old Hope Road in Kingston. For the past 28 years, Garth has worked on creating a number of social outreach projects that allow him to bless as many people as possible who come to him for help. The programmes include a weekly soup kitchen, a monthly clinic, an annual health and back-to-school fair, in addition to counselling -- all free of cost.
"Once you begin to collect money, people begin to say look at the crowd, it is a money-making business," Garth told the Sunday Observer. "We do things free of cost, no charge. When we have the health fair (for example), people come and they take out money believing that there is a registration fee, but it is totally free."
The health fair, which gives people the opportunity to be tested for various illnesses and to receive medication, is hosted each year on the grounds of Jamaica College. It is sponsored by Samaritans First, an international relief agency led by Franklyn Graham, who is the son of prominent television evangelist Billy Graham, and a few local sponsors.
"The really interesting feature of the fair is that on the spot we set up a pharmacy -- of course, with the permission of the Pharmaceutical Society in Jamaica -- and we fill prescriptions on the spot," Garth said. "Just the medication aspect of that alone would run to $1 million and some of it is like for generics."
The fair usually draws people from all over Jamaica and is done under the patronage of the Governor General.
"You find that people are out there from 5:30 in the mornings and we might start registration from as early as 7:00. We have helped persons from as far as Montego Bay because the health fair is advertised," the pastor said.
To ensure that people can access medical help year round, the church has also been operating a monthly clinic for residents living in surrounding areas for the past 20 years. The clinic is operated in a small room on the church ground, which is utilised for other activities when clinic is not in session.
"Because we are strapped for space, we improvise. We put in dividers for the doctors and people come for registration in one room and then they go over to see the doctor," Garth said, adding that the clinic sees between 30 and 50 people when it opens every third Saturday.
In addition to operating the clinic, the church helps people to fill their prescriptions. Those with prescriptions usually take it to the church where it is stamped and dated by the pastor. The prescriptions are then taken to the Liguanea Drug and Garden Centre where they are filled and the church is billed.
Then there is the feeding programme that sees the church distributing grocery baskets to shut-ins weekly. The food is bought by the church and then packaged for distribution.
"One of the things about our feeding programme is that we don't have people walking off the streets. We identify persons in the community and we try to look after children and the elderly," the pastor said.
And while the feeding programme only benefits a select number of people, this is not the case for the church's annual back-to-school fair. The most recent fair was held on August 14 and saw more than 1,000 people flocking the church ground to collect used books, stationery, bags, uniform, and vouchers. The church also gave 40 scholarships to students and plans to give out another 20 in the coming weeks. All this was done with the help of local corporate and international sponsors.
"They get books, bags, pencil, socks and things like that and him (Pastor Garth) give me money for the bigger ones them that I can help to get textbooks," noted a parent who identified herself only as Ms May.
"Him keep VBS (Vocational Bible School) for the children them and any little thing you need, he will give you a helping hand. Him will give you like little zinc or any little thing him have," she added.
The pastor also helps to pay the fees for students who cannot afford to pay for their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams.
"I remember one particular person who couldn't pay... We paid for all eight subjects for that young lady. She got all eight of them and she is now in the States; she became a lawyer. She sent me a photograph and on the back of it, it said, 'As a result of your kindness, you have changed my life forever'," Garth said, adding that those words have served to further inspire him to help others.
BY NADINE WILSON
Sunday Observer staff reporter
wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, August 22, 2010
REVEREND Peter Garth has one very simple philosophy: "The blessedness in being blessed is to bless others".
It is this philosophy that guides the manner in which he pastors Hope Gospel Assembly off Old Hope Road in Kingston. For the past 28 years, Garth has worked on creating a number of social outreach projects that allow him to bless as many people as possible who come to him for help. The programmes include a weekly soup kitchen, a monthly clinic, an annual health and back-to-school fair, in addition to counselling -- all free of cost.
"Once you begin to collect money, people begin to say look at the crowd, it is a money-making business," Garth told the Sunday Observer. "We do things free of cost, no charge. When we have the health fair (for example), people come and they take out money believing that there is a registration fee, but it is totally free."
The health fair, which gives people the opportunity to be tested for various illnesses and to receive medication, is hosted each year on the grounds of Jamaica College. It is sponsored by Samaritans First, an international relief agency led by Franklyn Graham, who is the son of prominent television evangelist Billy Graham, and a few local sponsors.
"The really interesting feature of the fair is that on the spot we set up a pharmacy -- of course, with the permission of the Pharmaceutical Society in Jamaica -- and we fill prescriptions on the spot," Garth said. "Just the medication aspect of that alone would run to $1 million and some of it is like for generics."
The fair usually draws people from all over Jamaica and is done under the patronage of the Governor General.
"You find that people are out there from 5:30 in the mornings and we might start registration from as early as 7:00. We have helped persons from as far as Montego Bay because the health fair is advertised," the pastor said.
To ensure that people can access medical help year round, the church has also been operating a monthly clinic for residents living in surrounding areas for the past 20 years. The clinic is operated in a small room on the church ground, which is utilised for other activities when clinic is not in session.
"Because we are strapped for space, we improvise. We put in dividers for the doctors and people come for registration in one room and then they go over to see the doctor," Garth said, adding that the clinic sees between 30 and 50 people when it opens every third Saturday.
In addition to operating the clinic, the church helps people to fill their prescriptions. Those with prescriptions usually take it to the church where it is stamped and dated by the pastor. The prescriptions are then taken to the Liguanea Drug and Garden Centre where they are filled and the church is billed.
Then there is the feeding programme that sees the church distributing grocery baskets to shut-ins weekly. The food is bought by the church and then packaged for distribution.
"One of the things about our feeding programme is that we don't have people walking off the streets. We identify persons in the community and we try to look after children and the elderly," the pastor said.
And while the feeding programme only benefits a select number of people, this is not the case for the church's annual back-to-school fair. The most recent fair was held on August 14 and saw more than 1,000 people flocking the church ground to collect used books, stationery, bags, uniform, and vouchers. The church also gave 40 scholarships to students and plans to give out another 20 in the coming weeks. All this was done with the help of local corporate and international sponsors.
"They get books, bags, pencil, socks and things like that and him (Pastor Garth) give me money for the bigger ones them that I can help to get textbooks," noted a parent who identified herself only as Ms May.
"Him keep VBS (Vocational Bible School) for the children them and any little thing you need, he will give you a helping hand. Him will give you like little zinc or any little thing him have," she added.
The pastor also helps to pay the fees for students who cannot afford to pay for their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams.
"I remember one particular person who couldn't pay... We paid for all eight subjects for that young lady. She got all eight of them and she is now in the States; she became a lawyer. She sent me a photograph and on the back of it, it said, 'As a result of your kindness, you have changed my life forever'," Garth said, adding that those words have served to further inspire him to help others.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. Titus 3:8 KJV
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