Easter dinner for homeless Jamaican LGBT youth
From Jamaica, activist Yvonne McCalla-Sobers reports on Sunday’s Easter dinner, made by LGBT youth supporter Nevin Powell, who also arranged a Christmas dinner for them a few months ago:
Once again, Nevin Powell provided a special dinner for the homeless LGBT youth forced to live in the sewers of Kingston, Jamaica. This time Nevin and a group of friends, including two brother Christian ministers, came from Los Angeles specifically to provide an Easter meal, just as they did last December when they treated the youngsters to Christmas dinner.
The youth, 31 in all, enjoyed the spread of chicken, curried goat, rice and peas, tossed salad, drink, and Easter bun and cheese (a beloved and much-anticipated Jamaican Easter tradition).
After lunch, gift packages containing clothing, shoes and some toiletries were handed out. The youngsters expressed a particular need for shoes, which are a premium item. Those youth who are barefoot often injure the soles of the feet just walking around and most of all jumping down into the sewer. In addition, if they are to leave the sewer they need shoes, and hopefully reliable shoes.
Dwayne’s House has been collecting the sizes of pants, shirts, and shoes for the youth and has tried to match these with donated items. However, it is sometimes difficult to meet the specific needs from this source. Nevin has therefore committed to source some of these items in the U.S., which he will then try to ship to Jamaica.
The individual attention to the specific needs of these youngsters will help them to feel that they are not forgotten by a society that is often so hostile towards them. This is also a critical first step to ensuring that the youth abandon anti-social survival behavior and start contributing as productive members of Jamaican society.
See the Web page of Dwayne’s House for more information or to contribute to the effort to relieve the desperate conditions of LGBT youths who have been evicted from their homes by families and police. (Contributions from the United States and Canada are treated as charitable donations.)
Related articles
- Jamaica youth minister to develop plans for LGBT homeless youth (76crimes.com)
- Defying judge, Jamaican police evict LGBT youth (76crimes.com)
- Judge rules for LGBT youths living in Jamaican sewers (76crimes.com)
- ‘Uptown’ Jamaicans vs. homeless gays (76crimes.com)
- Jamaican Christmas cheer for homeless LGBT youths (76crimes.com)
- Jamaica: Homeless LGBT youths up close and personal (76crimes.com)
- Why Some LGBT Youths In Jamaica Are Forced To Call A Sewer Home (BuzzFeed)
- Jamaican police seize, burn donations to LGBT youths (76crimes.com)
- Jamaican police keep attacking homeless LGBTs (76crimes.com)
- Jamaica: Support grows for LGBT youths living in sewers (76crimes.com)
- 8 arrests, not help, for homeless Jamaican LGBTs (76crimes.com)
Reblogged this on Jamaican Journal and commented:
This is lovely. Happy Easter.
TO our Dear youngsters from Jamaica: please remember you are not forgotten. The forces against the rightful love that you deserve are great, but forgotten, you are not. You are the ill-treated, you are the rejected of the world on account of bigotry and prejudice. And in spite of all that, know that you are the light of the world. I love you, just the way you are. Bruno.
That was so sweet it made me cry. I feel for the youths of Jamaica in particular.
Thank you for this
This would be great for #THRILLINGnewsTHURSDAY on SWEET TV! THANK YOU COLIN!… progress happening! #sweet
Can you help me contact Nevin and/or his friends from Los Angeles for an interview on SWEET TV! and SWEET HEART RADIO? Thank you. Contact us directly. SWEETEntertainmentProductions@gmail.com
Done
It’s great to see that some folks actually have a heart. Great job! We are all one.