Residents of Canarvon Street in Rollington Town, east Kingston, help two elderly women by washing, cleaning and making repairs to their house. - Ian Allen

By Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

Two elderly residents of Canarvon Street in Rollington Town benefited from the generosity of several community-based organisations on Labour Day.

The women, 83-year-old Elmina Wan, and Louise Crawford, who will turn 99 next month, have been living in a dilapidated shack, without a bathroom or kitchen for several years. The Labour Day project was the result of a combined effort from the Rollington Town Police Youth Club, the Citizens' Association, the Support and Service Battalion of the Cadets, the Rollington Town Sons and Daughters Church of God and the Cub Scouts. Some independent members of the community also participated in the project.

From as early as 7:30 a.m., residents gathered at the house to cater to the women's needs, and as the morning progressed the work began. The trees surrounding the house were cut down, the house was given a thorough cleaning and several pieces of old, unwanted furniture were removed. A neighbouring lot that was overrun with garbage and rats was also dealt with.

Wan and Crawford are friends from school days and lived alone in the partially rotted board structure. Wan suffers from a broken hip and Crawford's mobility is also limited. The community was drawn to their plight after Rhomy Richards, sport coordinator for the Rollington Town Police Youth Club, visited with the ladies one evening. He told THE STAR, " I brought the idea to the group. I just saw them one evening and talked to them for a while. I found out that they needed help, so I suggested that we do our best to help them."

John Hepburn, president of the youth club, added, "We think this type of work will help the ladies and will bring some justification to the existence of the club." He added that the project began two weeks before Labour Day and will continue beyond. "The Food For the Poor agreed to give us a house, so we are going through that process now. We are working with all agencies that helped to make the project a success," he said.

Both women are grateful for the attention, and Wan told THE STAR, "I feel good, very good."