By Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

The house given to Althea Grant by Food For The Poor.

Living outside under a piece tarpaulin with her five daughters was not Althea Grant's idea of a home, but she had no choice.

The 31-year-old vendor from Spring Village in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, ran into difficulties after being forced to leave the property she had been renting for a year.

"I don't have any family from here and I don't come from here," said the St. Mary native.

So she took her girls and with the help of an elderly man erected a tent in the bushes on a hill in the community. She did it all while retaining her job selling used clothing.

The family had no proper bathroom or cooking facilities.

Worst fears

Althea Grant with one of her daughters in their new home. - Contributed

"The children dem use the bush and mi cook outside," regardless of the weather, she said. They caught water at a nearby pool provided by Jamaica Broilers Group Limited. She did this for a month.

Many nights Grant was unsettled by a myriad of thoughts.

"Mi tink all kina ting ... mi tink bout give the children to Government because they were suffering and every night them wet," she said.

" ... Cause if they get a bad cold inna dem head ... I could go to jail for it (but) I could put them in the law's hands until I get back somewhere."

Her worst fears never came through, however, as she decided to get help from nurse Cynthia Walters at the Old Harbour Health Centre.

"I ... tell her 'bout the problems and I tell her that I have a land that I lease but I can't go any further on it." With Nurse Walters' help she was able to relay her situation to the Food For The Poor organisation.

She got somewhere to rent for three months but once again that didn't work out. However, Food For The Poor came through and eventually constructed a house for her.

"We wanted to do something very special," said Pearline Barrett O.D., manager for Education and outreach at Food For The Poor, after the nurse brought Grant's situation to their attention.

The Homeless Committee of Food For The Poor, which is headed by Dr. Maureen Irons Morgan, opened its 'Drop in Centre' for the mentally ill at the Bellevue Hospital on November 8. In addition to the opening, there was a week of activities to highlight work being done for the homeless and Food For The Poor wanted the house to be completed during this period.

The painted, two-bedroom, one dining room house was officially handed over to the family on November 11. Between the Red Cross and Food For The Poor, a double bed, a sofa, table, chairs, a stove and pots and pans were donated.

"The entire project needs to be completed with a little bathroom and kitchenette and we intend to seek sponsorship to complete the project," Barrett said.

She added that other support will be offered to the family to rectify other issues.

In the meantime, Grant plans "To serve God," she said with a thankful smile.