Senior wishes for table to eat Christmas dinner

Two days from the heights of the Yuletide season, Kenneth Francis of Simon, Rock River, Clarendon is hoping a miracle can occur that will see him getting a table, chair, and stove to prepare his Christmas meal.

The 70-year-old, whose deplorable living conditions were featured in THE S TAR on April 6, received an outpouring of love and support from locals and the diaspora, as well as Clarendon North Central Member of Parliament Robert Nesta Morgan.

That support has yielded a one-bedroom structure with bathroom and kitchen, with only the fixtures to go in.

Up to Tuesday, he hadn't yet moved in, as the sole item in the house was a bed. The mattress was delivered by the May Pen Poor Relief Department two days ago.

"I would like to ... wake Christmas morning around mi table in mi bedroom weh di people build for me, eating a good meal," he said.

Giving heartfelt thanks to his benefactors, Francis said it was the first in a long time that he was looking forward to the season with optimism.

"Mi more than thankful to all a di people ... . It nuh really work out yet, but to as far as mi really see, mi feel like it a go be a good one," he told THE STAR.

Francis ran into misfortune when he tried to draw on his pension but discovered that he had not been registered.

That has set him back in the twilight of his life.

Pauline Lindo, a member of the Simon Senior Citizens' Club and who has been integral in coordinating assistance for Francis, said she is happy at the groundswell of compassion.