Monthly Archives: May 2022

Michelle McIntosh Harvey is a caregiver at heart. As a member of the Lion’s Club of Kingston for more than 20 years, she has always been active in her community and is continuously seeking ways to assist those in need.

In fact, each Christmas and Easter holiday, she would open her heart and home to children from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) – a tradition she looked forward to every year. But when she was approached to foster a child fulltime, Mrs Harvey hesitated, thinking it was a challenge for which she wasn’t fully prepared.

“At the time, I was a caregiver for my mother, during the last few years of her life, and I wasn’t sure I could take on the additional responsibility,” she said.

Although uncertain, the Director of Financial Management and Accounting Services at the CPFSA ,decided to invite the then three year-old, along with another child to her home for Christmas. That one chance encounter changed her life forever.

“I would say he came, he saw, and he conquered, because I took one look at him and it was love at first sight,” the beaming mom expressed. “He just came and stole our hearts.”

At the end of his stay, Mrs Harvey decided she could not part ways with Omar, whom she described as a very quiet and loving child. “I told myself I wasn’t sending him back. After that he just became my handbag, everywhere I went he was with me.”

She even designed his own little vest for the Lion’s Club, so they could attend meetings together.

“When I go anywhere with Omar, if I don’t tell people that he’s adopted they don’t know, because we look so much alike. There’s a baby picture of him that when I put it beside a picture of my sister’s son at that same age they look exactly alike,” she said.

It didn’t take long for Mrs Harvey to make the decision to formally adopt Omar. This involved going through all the necessary steps, including home visits from representatives of the CPFSA to the final court visit where a judge grants the legal order of adoption.  

Though there have been challenges, Mrs Harvey admitted that being an adoptive mom has been a truly joyful and rewarding experience. “We connected from day one. I tend to be affectionate and he’s a very loving child…so we feed off each other,” she said.

She noted that the key is love and completely giving of oneself, adding that the power of this role supersedes biology and is ultimately one the greatest expressions of selfless love. 

Mrs Harvey is being featured as part of The Jamaica National Group’s All That She Is movement, which is celebrating women who have taken a different route to motherhood.   

“I recall when my mother passed a few years ago and I was sitting there and bawling. He came to me and asked, ‘mommy you crying for grandma again? Remember you have me you know.’ And those words just changed the whole picture. And I realised I needed to get myself together, because I have my son and the two of us can move forward together,” she said.

Mrs Harvey, who was a single mother for most of the journey, said she drew inspiration from the parents who make up her support system, including her close friends and siblings.

“If I have a concern, then I will speak to someone who has done it before. I have friends who have raised boys only and I will call and ask them for advice.”

And as the years roll by, Mrs Harvey reflects on the decision she made more than a decade ago and knows she would have done it all over again.

Though the years continue to bring them new adventures, triumphs and challenges – she’s now a newlywed and Omar is now almost 15-years-old – what has remained constant is the love and bond they share.

“He’s a happy, adventurous child, who keeps me on my toes, and I look forward to the rest of our lives.”

Watch video

Sophie’s Place, a children’s home for special needs children, benefitted from the planting of a vegetable garden and an infrastructural facelift of its outdoor sensory therapy area by members of The Jamaica National Group on Labour Day.

Chevanese Peters, programme coordinator at the JN Foundation said that The Jamaica National Group has adopted the Mustard Seed Communities and have worked with the organisation for some 17 years.

“Sophie’s Place is one of 11 apostolates that the Mustard Seed Communities has across the island and what they have asked us to do here  is part of a longer project that we have taken on in supporting the organisation, is to revive their sensory area as many of the children have some disability. The sensory area would stimulate them,” she explained.

Ms Peters said the JN Foundation Act!on volunteers painted the sensory area with bright colours. They also created a vegetable garden, where the home will be able to reap from to prepare meals for the children.

Christine Madden-Watson, administrator of Sophie’s Place expressed her gratitude to the volunteers.

“For the past 17 years, The Jamaica National Group has partnered with the Mustard Seeds Communities and Sophie’s Place. The project looks amazing and the sensory area looks lively with the bright colours that have been used to paint the area. I just want to say thank you to The Jamaica National Group,” she said.

Mrs Madden-Watson said that the therapy area deteriorated during the pandemic but with the facelift, the children will greatly benefit. She explained that sensory play helps to build nerve connections to the brain, improving cognitive growth and encouraging children to develop motor skills.

 “I just want to say thank you JN and the children and members of staff are appreciative of the work that was done,” she said.

Natassia Lawrence, member service representation at JN Bank who was among the volunteers said she was happy to be involved in the project.

“I love giving back especially to those who are in need of help. It is a very good feeling to see the smile on someone’s face when you give assistance,” she shared.

Sophie’s Place is home to 21 residents including 15 boys and six girls. They have varying disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to down syndrome.

The Mustard Seed Communities and Sirgany Beach in East Kingston will be the hub of Labour Day activities, being organised byThe Jamaica National Group on May 21 and 23.

“The Jamaica National Group has an ongoing relationship with the Mustard Seed Communities. Therefore, our Labour Day activities will be done at three of their locations in the Corporate Area, St Ann and St James,” said Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation.

Ms Allen said that the administrators at all three locations have expressed a great need for infrastructural and cosmetic fixes that have not been prioritised due to the constraints of the pandemic, but are well needed to maintain the quality care residents deserve.

“Labour Day gives an opportunity for the JN Action staff volunteers and JN Circle members to get involved in a manual work intensive one-day initiative that will improve the facilities that serve the nation’s most vulnerable,” she explained.

Sophie’s Place in Gordon Town, St Andrew; Jacob’s ladder in Moneague, St Ann and Blessed Assurance located in Adelphi, St James are identified as the project locations.

Prior to Labour Day, The Jamaica National Group and its volunteers will do a beach clean-up on Saturday, May 21 at Sirgany Beach in East Kingston.

“We will be doing our part to clean up our coastline and give back to Mother Earth, as we come together to help rid our country’s coastline of harmful debris,” said Ms Allen.

On Thursday, the JN Group commenced the Labour Day activities with the handing over of fruit trees and seedlings to members at its Half-Way-Tree Branch.

The Labour Day activities form part of the JN Group’s Environmental Sustainable programme, which will be launched at a later date. The programme is geared at supporting environmental awareness practices in Jamaica by focusing on key areas such as: deforestation, waste management, water conservation and energy efficiency.

Through the programme, The Jamaica National Group intends to increase staff awareness by 20 per cent; establish plastic bottle collection sites at branches and offices across the island; work with tertiary institutions to identify sustainable innovation to face mask disposal and plant 4,320 seedlings over the next year, among other activities.

Ms Allen said members of the public can support the initiative by: following the three ‘Rs’ – reduce, reuse and recycle; by cutting down on non-reusable items; planting a tree; choosing to use non-toxic chemicals at home and in office, and volunteering and supporting all environmental-related projects organised by the JN Group.