MONROVIA – There was no other way deemed more prudent for Brother’s Keeper, a charitable organization within the Empowerment African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, to celebrate its 15th anniversary than obeying the instructions of the Holy Bible, specifically Proverb 19:17, and Isaiah 58:10.
The first scripture says whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed, while the second indicates that if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
In fulfillment of these divine instructions, Brother’s Keeper over the weekend put smiles on the faces of the mentally afflicted at the Edward Snoh Grant Referral Mental Health Hospital in Du-port Road and the needy at the Rock of Divine Orphanage in the SKD Community, where the group made huge donations separately.
The donations were part of the celebrations in observance of the group, which comprises members of the church’s Men’s Department, decade and half years of existence.
The shepherd of the Empowerment AME Church, Rev. Dr. Katurah York Cooper, who accompanied the group during the donation, lauded her members for always reaching out to those in need, especially at such a difficult time.
“In this world, everyone is selfish and looking for what can benefit him or her. So I’m so proud to be the pastor of these gentlemen who have been lifting others up,” Rev. York Cooper said, “as for our Church members, they know how Brother’s Keeper has been of help to many, if not all of them.”
“We know what this organization stands for, and the name alone will tell you a whole lot,” she added
She expressed gratitude to God for the fact that in the midst of everything, the membership of the group continues to stick to that purpose for which the organization was formed—and that purpose is finding ways to be of help to others, especially the needy and the disadvantaged.
She urged them to continue to promote the kingdom of God through their good deeds.
The AME Cleric also extolled the staff and administrators of the Mental Health Hospital for their sacrificial services. “What you are doing here is a lot of sacrifices. This is like pastoral work; we do it for God. It does not bring much income but we know the satisfaction that comes with it,” she said.
The Administrator of the facility, Davidetta Parker, upon lauding the organization for the gesture, which she described as timely, enumerated a lot of challenges that are confronting the hospital. “I’m from the AME background and I want to thank you my AME people for making me proud. This donation means a lot to me and my people here,” she said.
The facility, which is a component of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, is the only referral mental health center in the country. According to Ms. Parker, the most critical of the challenges is the limited supply of drugs for patients.
The limited supply of food to the hospital for patients was another concern that was noticed. She highlighted the issue of the facility being small to host all those in need of their services.
“We have a total of 62 patients that are currently here. We want the facility to be expanded because what we have now is not special enough for our patients,” she said.
She added that the institution also lacks adequate space for recreational facilities for patients.
Giving a profile of the organization during the donation at the orphanage, Brother’s Keeper president, Judge Jomah Jallah said: “We are an organization that believes in the wellbeing of our communities, especially the underprivileged.
“We prioritized the children because they are the most vulnerable. We understand that there are a lot of challenges this home is faced with and we have come to help in a little way. We, therefore, brought a few items to help in keeping the kids up.
The caregiver at the orphanage, Mother Fatu Divine, lauded the group for the donation. “We cannot be more grateful for your help towards the kids. Let God replenish what all you have given to put smiles on our faces,” she said.
Meanwhile, some of the donated items include rice, oil toiletries, soft drinks, and many more.