Carolling in the morning was the first gift Thalia Lyn gave to residents of St Monica’s Home for Abandoned Elderly on December 15.

The second, was the revelation was they were her pick as NCB Foundation chair for the 2023 ‘Grant a Wish’ programme.

The tiny, hidden home in White Marl, St. Catherine is in dire need for the donation as it is on the verge of shuttering. Her $500,000 grant will go directly into the operations of the home.

“At this time of the year, it can be very easy to overlook the needs of people who are not within our immediate circle. This grant gift really touched me as St Monica’s is the only home these 15 people know, and the thought that they might lose their only place in the world does not sit well with me,” Lyn shared. “I had to go back to my board [of directors] to help them.”

Lyn invited cabaret singer and artiste manager DiMario McDowell to lead her and the staff of several Island Grill locations in carols for the residents all the while urging them to enjoy the Christmas season.

Place for the abandoned elderly

Facility manager, Nurse Hermine Bascoe, has served the home for 25 years and has seen many changes to the physical and administrative structure.

St Monica’s was founded on lands procured by Monsignor Richard Albert in 1982 on the dual carriageway between Spanish Town and Kingston. The home also cared for adults living with HIV/AIDS and is currently run by the St Patrick’s Foundation in Kingston.

The home’s staff are HEART/NSTA Trust-certified and is also the training ground for nurses entering the field of geriatric care management.

The needs are great for a home that offers an invaluable service to the community.

“The foundation pays the salaries for all the staff who are always on hand to give care to the residents. We also transport them to their medical appointments, secure the property and when they pass, provide a dignified burial all from dwindling voluntary donations,” explained St Patrick’s Foundation chair Hermine Metcalf.

She revealed that the home is two months away from closure and the relocation of the residents.

Metcalfe shared her hope that well-thinking Jamaicans do not allow that to happen so that the home can continue caring for the abandoned elderly.