The Labour Day period found volunteers from across the Central Jamaica Conference (CJC) enthusiastically engaged in two projects- beautifying the St. Catherine Parish Library and preparing the future site of the Alta Vista Children’s Home in Bog Walk.
The library was tackled first on May 24 after some prep work was done in the preceding days.
CJC president, Pastor Nevail Barrett, says he suggested the project after driving past the library and noticing its weathered appearance.
“When I shared it with my fellow administrators and directors, they bought into it instantaneously and we made it one of the projects for our 65th anniversary celebration,” he said.
As it turns out, the administrators at the library had been preparing for some time to address the same issue and had already purchased some of the paint. But they lacked the resources and manpower to carry out the restoration. Therefore the proposal from the CJC came as if in answer to prayer.
Library representative, Diana Pottinger, says the library welcomes the partnership and hopes other entities will follow suit.
“We are super excited about it. We will see much, much more traffic on a day-to-day basis. People are always passing by saying, you know, your library needs a face lift. And to see this project manifest today, it's a great feeling for us”, she said.
Volunteers included persons from CJC Builders League, Youth Ministries, Adventist Community Services volunteers, and community partners.
Loneil Mattis, a youth volunteer from the Sydenham Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church, heard of the project through the Old Harbour Adventist Youth Federation. She was drawn to it because she too had been noticing the library’s drab appearance. While she appreciates some books in hardcopy such as the Bible, Sabbath school quarterly and the textbooks she uses at Caribbean Maritime Institute, she prefers soft copy books and has not used libraries very much. But she has been forming a deeper appreciation for the library setting in recent times.
“Some of my classmates shared that they love the scent of a library. They love to go to a library to just read or even just for the quietness. Using the library at my school, I've gotten the opportunity to experience some of that. I realized that helping with this library in Spanish Town would mean a great deal, and I know others would appreciate it,” she explained.
She braved the heat of the day, making sure to keep herself hydrated, and spent about 2 hours painting grills and walls and then helping to document the day's activities with videos and interviews. She says the day was “worth it” and that the transformation of the library facade was like “transitioning from black and white to colour”.
Pastor Barrett, who joined the volunteers in painting and other tasks, noted that education is a fixed priority for the CJC.
“This initiative is possible through Adventist Community Services partnering with the Welfare, Health, Education, Empowerment and Local Community- WHEEL- Fund. There will always be a place for libraries in our society even though now you can go online for your books. It's always good to have a hard copy…as a conference and as a church, we are strong believers in education and we want our community of Spanish Town and the parish of Saint Catherine to benefit from this effort”.
May 25 was designated for the second project- renovations for the Alta Vista Children’s Home.
Early that morning, conference officials Pastor Everett Smith, vice president and WHEEL coordinator and Kimarly Walker-Medley, communication director appeared on Smile Jamaica- the Television Jamaica morning show- to promote the conference’s Labour Day activities on a national platform.
Later in the morning, volunteers assembled at the site to assist with work already underway including excavation around the existing house, installation of utilities, construction of walkways, foundation work for additional amenities, landscaping and general cleanup.
The home, run by the Educational Foundation for Children’s Care Incorporated (EFCCI) is preparing to transition from Four Paths, Clarendon, to its new location in Bog Walk, St. Catherine, by the end of summer 2026. Scheduling the project during Child’s Month was intentional to emphasize the focus of the facility on providing vulnerable children with a safe, secure, and welcoming home environment and access to education.
Pastor Barrett was again onsite manoeuvring barrows full of building material and otherwise supporting the entity that the CJC stands firmly behind.
“The objective is to help children who otherwise have been marginalized by family and society to give them a home, and the opportunity to get formal education, so they can contribute to the development of our nation…to date a number of our students have matriculated into tertiary institutions because of the service that this facility has provided for them, and one graduated last year,” he shared.
Patrick and Orphia Umrah, members of the Diamond Acres SDA church, enjoy volunteering and decided to join in.
“It's really good to be a part of this history, helping children to live comfortably. We don't know what they have gone through, so I'm hoping that this will make a great impact. And as a family, going out on missions like these help us to grow closer together, so it's another mission on its way for completion,” Orphia said, explaining that for the first time she was attempting to shovel stone and was trying her best not to sprain her wrists.
“I'm the one who is loading the mixer for the concrete. It's really nice, it brings back memories,” Patrick noted.
Pastor Barrett invited persons who could not physically support the labour day effort to still assist as far as possible in other ways.
“We're appealing to corporate Jamaica and people around the world to assist us in creating a healthy environment for vulnerable children, who knows, one may be the doctor, lawyer, spiritual leader or member of the government that provides service for us in the future. We have to invest in our children,” he appealed.
Yvette Scott, a member of EFCCI executive management committee, joined the appeal and explained how to support the cause.
“On the CJC tithe envelope you will see the Children's Village listed and you can make your donation on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Also, anyone can donate directly on the website at efccinc.org or you can go to the CJC website, click on special projects, and select the Alta Vista Children’s Home. You can also write a check to us. Those who shop on Amazon, can go to charities and select EFCCI. Once you give, it comes directly to our account. Giving is easy. We thank those who are already our sponsors,” she said.
In the coming months, the aim is to install fencing around the facility, and donations are welcome to help cover the cost.
These two CJC projects were fuelled by a spirit of volunteerism and a commitment to meaningful service and community transformation, showing the practical side of the gospel.
The activities reaffirm the CJC’s 65 years of dedication to outreach and bettering the lives of members and non-members alike through labours of love.