By Fernando Davis
While the raging coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across Jamaica, charities such as the One Hart Hill Foundation, from the coastal district of Hart Hill, Portland, remain a shining example and an inspiration to many.
Founded in April 2020 by Hart Hill resident, Michael Coombs, the community based non-profit organisation, whose members predominantly reside overseas, has been a model of consistency, giving freely and ensuring that needy beneficiaries, even outside of Hart Hill, can get their fair share of assistance.
Coombs, who currently resides in the United States, formed the group (via Whatsapp), following a bout of the coronavirus and when it became apparent to him, that a tiny district like Hart Hill, with an ageing and vulnerable population, would be well served with a charitable non-profit organization which could ably assist the local health authorities in tackling the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to other serious medical issues.
No more was this on display than in December 2020 when seven-year-old Dominique White of Orange Bay, Portland, who has been stricken with a health condition commonly known as ‘brittle bone’, came to the attention of the Hart Hill Foundation.
“We got involved with Dominique because her mother used to live in Hart Hill, and therefore met our criteria for assistance,” explained foundation president Raymond Duncan.
“We provided Dominique with a wheel chair and a care package of groceries, and she is now included on our list whenever we distribute care packages, which is usually monthly.”
Duncan, who resides in England, however, noted that more recently, the Foundation has been acquiescing to requests from entities outside of Hart Hill to assist residents living in other communities.
He added that while there are obvious constraints in moving “outside our comfort zone” the foundation is “first and foremost” a philanthropic organisation which will use all the means at its disposal to assist neighbouring communities in meeting whatever challenges that might exist.
“We have been approached to assist people outside our community, and have done so,” the foundation president added.
“Although Hart Hill residents remain our first priority, we have been lending a helping hand to other neighbouring communities. Most notably, we recently raised $350,000 for Moya Sewell, a resident of St Margaret’s Bay, to help fund her chemotherapy treatment for a severely large cyst.”
Duncan said the foundation has been growing from strength to strength, to where it is now formally structured and “set up to provide support to the more vulnerable members of our community.”
The foundation, he said, includes past and present residents of Hart Hill living in Jamaica, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and neighbouring Caribbean Islands.
“We communicate regularly via WhatsApp groups, augmented with Zoom meetings as and when required. We also have a ground team made up of residents of Hart Hill who are responsible for identifying areas of need, and delivering the packages and projects that are funded by the Foundation. The executive team discuss and agree on a project before it is actioned,” Duncan further noted.
For his part, Coombs said that following his encounter with COVID-19, a decision was made to first form an online group, which later materialised into a foundation – attracting approximately 140 members.
“It wasn’t difficult getting members to come together,” he added.
“Our aim is to assist needy residents living in Hart Hill by providing them with care packages every month, medical assistance, construction, and to provide education assistance. We have since extended our outreach to other communities in west Portland. We were touched by the unfortunate situation facing young Dominique White, who was unable to walk on her own.”
Coombs further pointed out that young White, who had to be assisted to move around, is the youngest person to have benefited from the foundation.
“Having learned about her situation, we all decided that this was a real emergency which had to be addressed immediately. The need out there is great, and our motto, which reads ‘Improving lives one heart at a time’, is a testimony of what we do,” he noted.
“When we started out, we had about 10 people, but it kept growing. Also, we have taken on renovation of homes that are without bathroom or kitchen.”
Coombs added that, if nothing else, COVID-19 has brought out “a renewed sense of volunteerism in people” where many communities, especially the poor and vulnerable, have been receiving assistance from charity groups “as a counter to the worst pandemic known to man.”
Charities like the One Hart Hill Foundation have been stepping up to the plate big time,” he added. “These are the days when we all have to stand up and be counted.
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