“When It Rained, It Leaked”: An Adventist Church Rebuilt the Home of a 96-Year-Old Woman in Irwin

• Irwin Seventh-day Adventist Church repaired the home of 96-year-old Mary Dennison
• The work included new boards, windows, roof repairs and flooring
• It took almost a year because the church paid in phases
• Leaders said recipients need not be church members

For years, rain meant trouble in Mary Dennison’s house in the Irwin community. By May 2015 the 96-year-old had a sound roof again, after members of the Irwin Seventh-day Adventist Church spent almost a year renovating her home, the Jamaica Observer reported.

Her daughter, Jennifer, who lives with her and cares for her, described the state of the old house. “The house was so rotten that sometimes I was ashamed to see it. When it rained, it leaked and water flowed in,” she said. The church removed rotted wooden boards, put in new windows, repaired the roof and fixed the floors.

The Irwin SDA Church paid for the work itself. Because money was limited, the job was done in stages, which is why it took close to a year to finish. Mrs Dennison was grateful. “I feel so good to know that the church is here,” she said. “It is nice to know that there are still good people around looking after me.”

Church leaders said this was their second community project, and that help was not limited to members. Intern pastor Rabbi Brown described the effort as faith shown through action rather than only preaching. “As a church we believe that it is important to help persons,” said Norman Stewart, a church supervisor, who was joined by first elder Rohan Champaigne.

Small repair projects like this keep elderly Jamaicans in homes they already own, which is often cheaper and faster than building new. For diaspora families worried about an ageing parent’s house back home, and for returnees looking to support their home church, the Irwin example is practical: a local congregation that knows the family, a clear list of repairs and money released in phases as it comes in. A dry roof and sound floors can add years to a house and to the life of the person living in it.

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