Rasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer
FORTY SENIOR citizens and indigent persons basked in the spirit of good cheer as they were the beneficiaries of the 12th staging of the Super Willy Promotions Christmas treat on Thursday.
Former Deputy Superintendent of Police Hornet Williams turned Santa Claus, dropping off goodie bags for the less fortunate in Frazer’s Content, Fairfield, Ebony Vale, and on Brunswick Avenue, all in Greater Spanish Town.
The elderly residents were heartened by Williams’ philanthropy.
“Lord Jesus must bless you, as I am blind, but I see your goodness,” quipped Kenneth Dubidad, a recipient.
“You give last year and here you come back again, so it is a blessed Christmas.”
As the team journeyed through the zinc-fenced community of Frazer’s Content, residents continued to show appreciation for the gesture, with one beneficiary, Alphanso Duffus, saying the package he received heralded hope for the season.
The year 2021 has a been a punishing period for the elderly in Jamaica, with two deadly waves of the coronavirus pandemic – in February to March, and July to August – targeting the aged because they were more likely to be immuno-compromised with conditions that made them more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Elderly residents have also suffered from depression and loneliness because of stay-at-home government orders and less interaction with family and friends because of infection fears.
For 75-year-old Joyce Tomlinson, the treat was a reminder that she was still respected, loved, and valued.
“Lord, unnu still memba mi. This is a very good day, as I was waiting on the gift, and it is here now,” said Tomlinson, adding that she was grateful for the outreach because she had not worked for the last 17 years.
Williams, who heads the Super Willy charity, and his team also took packages to a number of dwellings occupied by shut-ins.
The good Samaritans were disappointed when they discovered that Theresa Facey, a previous recipient from Frazer’s Content, had passed away months earlier.
Williams said the treat was born out of a need to give back to the less fortunate.
“I know what it means to be hungry and in need of help, so I find it a duty to help these people,” the former cop said.
“Each year, another person comes on and we give what we can. I will be doing so as long as I can. The reward is knowing that I have touched someone’s life positively.”