The Jamaica Star :: News :: No more feeding - St William Grant Park to cease serving meals to the homeless

A man walks past a sign warning that the St William Grant Park, downtown, Kingston, is closed for rehabilitation work. - norman grindley

Come October, the end of the first phase of the renovation projects at the Sir William Grant Park, downtown Kingston, the feeding of the homeless in and/or around the park will not be allowed again.

Patrick Wong, chief executive officer of the Kingston City Centre Improvement Company (KCCIC), made the statement while speaking with The Star recently.

Wong explained that a main part of the reason why the park was flocked by homeless persons in recent years was because these less fortunate persons were served meals at the park. "Part of the problem was that they (homeless persons) were fed and cared for at the park, so you ended up having a lot of them sleeping there," he said. "So we met with the Salvation Army and Food for the Poor and we agreed that this cannot continue after the park is completed."

Moved to shelter

Wong continued that the feeding for those frequenting the park would be moved to Marie Atkins night shelter on Hanover Street, a move he says will minimise, if not bring an end to the ocurrence of persons sleeping in the park.

Delroy Whitehall, public relations officer at Food for the Poor said the initial problem was that even though persons were being cared for at the shelter initially, some would still loiter on the streets, hence they had to go on the streets to ensure that they were fed.

Not before long, the Sir William Grant Park became the meal location where they would converge to receive their meals. With the new agreement however, he said that more effort would have to be channelled into the effort to have everyone go to the centre and not just for meals.