Gurvan Whitely continuing his mother’s vision

Gurvan Whitely, through the Doris Whitely Foundation, has made it his life's mission to continue the work his mother started so many years ago as she tried to meet the needs of the Bellevue community through the church.

Now that she is deceased, he said he feels a strong sense of obligation to take up the mantle, and no one is happier about that than 13-year-old Moneisha Miller, who was wondering where her mother would find the resources to meet all her back to school needs.

Miller, who will be moving on from St Mary's Primary School to St Elizabeth Technical High School, said her inspiration is Pastor Racquel Jones, now a TVJ news anchor and a past student of Junction Secondary, now B.B. Coke High School.

Miller said that one day she, too, hopes to give back to the community as well as help the elderly.

Her mother, Marcia Miller, was overwhelmed as she said she is presently not working and was actually wondering how she was going to foot the school bill.

Miller is not the only one who benefited from the foundation. She was among the many children that turned out at the Mount Zion Church of the Redeemed in the community and were treated to school supplies and vouchers which can be redeemed for school uniforms and books.

Speaking with THE STAR, Whitely said the event, now in its third year, has seen over 1,200 children benefiting.

"It is a challenge, but we keep going my sister Apostle Bernadine Whitely-Holness and I made the decision that we would continue our mother's legacy and seeing the need in the community is a great motivation, too, to keep going," said Whitely, who resides in New York.

"If there is ever a moment when I think about stopping this outreach, the thought quickly disappears (when I look) at the overwhelming gratitude from those who we have been impacting," Whitely said.