Serving families with love - Home 2K Ministries and Harris Foundation give back to communities

Mandeville, Manchester:

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done – Proverbs 19:17

For the past 30 years, Michael Harris and his family have been giving back to communities and families across Jamaica in an effort to ease the pressures of the harsh economic times being faced by many.

Thousands of women and children turned up at the Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church in May Day in the parish for their most recent outreach programme, which targeted those in need of medical checks, back-to-school items and small scholarship grants.

“Since migrating, I have been giving back to the community in my own little way: clothes, shoes, food items. But 13 years ago, we started the foundation officially. My two daughters, Kimberly and Nicky, who are the founders of the foundation, were invited to the country by Hands Across Jamaica, and it was after their visit that they decided they needed to make this more official,” said Harris, president of the Harris Family Vision Foundation Inc.

He continued, “The greatest need that we have seen since coming to Jamaica is funding for tuition and resources for healthcare. We have been helping tertiary students through our scholarship fund, and we have donated to the hospitals and infirmaries across the island.”

Biggest project

Harris said their biggest project to date was in 2012 when they renovated a building and donated a clinic to the Government of Jamaica, to the tune of over a million dollars.

With volunteers of the foundation based all over the United States and Jamaica, Harris said that there are several areas in Kingston and St Catherine that are impacted with each visit. He said that even the Jamaica Constabulary Force receives assistance from the organisation.

This year, the Harris family partnered with Home 2k Ministries to maximise their efforts in reaching families from various communities in the parish of Manchester.

“Home 2k is a ready responder and intervention ministry. We launched in 2015, but we were registered with Companies Office of Jamaica in 2019. It is very important to place emphasis on family and Christian values in our efforts to reach the people we serve,” said Judith Forbes, coordinator, Home 2k Ministries

She said that she was committed to the growth of the nation by empowering one person at a time.

“Look at Jamaica – it is one of the best countries in the world. Our national anthem is a prayer, there is so much beauty to be in awe about, yet we are ranked number five as a crime prone country. My job is to see that fixed, one community at a time, one person at a time, to make that change and transformation before I depart this life,” she ended.

Next week, we will meet the founder, who stands at only two feet but has managed to impact the world with her compassionate heart and will to see everyone live their best life.

familyandreligion@gleanerjm.com