Easter dinner for homeless Jamaican LGBT youth
by Colin Stewart
Easter dinner for homeless LGBT youths in Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Yvonne McCalla-Sobers)
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:
Homeless LGBT youths in Jamaica line up for Easter dinner. (Photo courtesy of Yvonne McCalla-Sobers)
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.
Homeless LGBT youths at Easter dinner. (Photo courtesy of Yvonne McCalla-Sobers)
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.
Pastors
and others provided Easter dinner for homeless LGBT youths in New
Kingston, Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Yvonne McCalla-Sobers )
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)
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