Cockpit resident spreads the love at Christmas
Published:Monday | December 28, 2020 | 12:06 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/Gleaner Writer
Laurel Livingston has been maintaining the Christmas tradition of feeding the less fortunate and some shut-ins in her community of Cockpit in Clarendon, and Friday was no different.
Preparing scrumptious delights of chicken, fish, curried goat, as well as baking up a storm to give to over 20 residents, she said it is all joy for her to cater to them in this way.
In an interview with The Gleaner, Livingston said most of her family live overseas, so for her, using the holiday season to spread love and make a difference is something she has always enjoyed.
She shared that the inspiration to begin the very first dinner six years ago came after she interacted with residents and realised that some of their needs were great. That prompted her to take it upon herself to play her part in making a difference, however small, in their lives, and thus began the yearly tradition of fêting them every Christmas.
Acknowledging that it is not cheap to prepare the kind of meals she does, Livingston said she starts saving from the beginning of the year and joined a partner plan with Jamaica National Bank, as well as “pick up coins from the streets of May Pen”.
“People throw away dollar coins and my friend and I pick them up and save them and by the end of the year I would accumulate about $7,000,” she said, adding that she also puts that in the kitty to buy all that she needs to host the dinner.
For Livingston, she doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon as the sense of satisfaction and the grateful responses from those she has impacted make it all worth it for her.
For senior couple, Evan and Inez Smikle, the Christmas dinner is a blessing in disguise.
Evan expressed joy that they didn’t have to think about preparing a meal as he said most times he has challenges finding the money to even cook on regular occasions.
“I look forward to it each year,” he told The Gleaner, even as he thanked those who “chip in” throughout the year in ensuring he can have a meal on the table.
Livingston shared that when she first moved to Cockpit, she had no family there. Now, she said she feels a sense of kinship with most of the residents and it is one of the things that motivates her to go the extra mile.