Luncheon Money and a Volunteer Carpenter: A St Ann Church Rebuilds Part of a Hospital Ward

• The Called to Push Ministry of Divine Church of God in Ocho Rios repaired a bathroom on St Ann’s Bay Hospital’s male surgical ward
• New cupboards were paid for with proceeds from a church luncheon
• The old structure was removed and rebuilt, with concrete and tiles for durability
• The group said it was its first project at the hospital, with more to come

A church group in Ocho Rios has taken its outreach into St Ann’s Bay Hospital, rebuilding part of a bathroom on the male surgical ward, the Jamaica Observer reported.

The work was done by the Called to Push Ministry of the Divine Church of God. Nicholas Hutchinson, a member of the outreach ministry, said new cupboards were installed using money raised at a church luncheon earlier in the year. “The work included total removal of the original structure and building the entire cupboards from scratch,” he said. The tops of the cupboards were concreted and tiled to make them last.

The group credited volunteer carpenter Rohan Watson, who donated his skills. Hutchinson said this was the ministry’s first job at the hospital, and that more would follow.

The church also helps elderly and sick people in the community, and raises money by hosting movie nights and other events.

The project is small but typical of how much church groups can do for public buildings. Hospitals and other public facilities often wait a long time for basic repairs, while churches have members with trade skills and a way to raise money locally. A luncheon’s proceeds and one volunteer carpenter replaced worn fittings with durable concrete and tile. Congregations looking for practical outreach can take the same approach: pick a specific repair at a school, clinic or hospital, cost it, raise the money and finish it. Well-maintained public buildings help keep a community attractive to the people who live there. Hospitals and schools could help by publishing lists of specific repairs that church and community groups can take on, with costs attached, so that small pledges go to jobs that can be finished.

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