�Ӱ��԰�

Paula Townsend sat on a pink stool on a pavement along Harbour Street in downtown Kingston with her sweetie jar on one of her knees, supported by her right hand, and her toddler, Jardene Thompson, in her lap.

It was only last week that this newspaper shared the tear-jerking story of this single mother who lost her job as a janitor shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit local shores. To survive and provide for her child, Townsend has turned to the selling of sweets, the returns from which are hardly enough to meet their needs.

Thursday would have been another ‘ordinary’ day in Townsend’s life had it not been for a surprise visit from Kaniel Cole, a humanitarian at heart, who is also a member of the Jamaica Defence Force.

Cole, who uses his platform on social media to solicit support for worthwhile causes, presented Townsend with a token which included cash, a box of groceries and a few suits of clothes for her son. And there was more. Donna Lee Taylor, a driver at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, stopped for a few seconds and gave her ‘a strength’.

Really overwhelmed

“Words really can’t express how I feel,” Townsend said in response to the generosity. “I am really overwhelmed. Someone had sent me some money before and I want to tell that person thanks a lot. I want to thank THE STAR, Kaniel and every single person who donated towards me and my son. God bless you all as you have all helped to better my life for my son. I can’t say thanks enough,” she said.

“Right now, Christmas for my son and I comes early. I will ensure he goes to school in January so I will be opening an account tomorrow (today) to lodge the money that I received. Thanks for these donations, my son’s future is starting to look bright and I am so thankful,” she added.

Townsend, who has been on the hunt for a job, said she is yet to get any luck in that department. However, she said she has vowed to press on.

Meanwhile, Cole said that grocery donations were courtesy of food distributors GraceKennedy and Lasco. He said the cash came from his social media friends.

“Quite a number of persons have reached out to me and shared their interest in offering assistance. One person said they were interested in offering Miss Townsend a job. I had told myself that I would pay for her son’s nursery for a month, and another female had stated that she would also pay for another month so she can get herself back on track again,” the big-hearted Cole said.