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Rose Miller, team lead of the JN BeWi$e financial empowerment programme, underscores the importance for persons to carefully manage their day-to-day finances, at all times and in all seasons of live but particularly during retirement.

This she said in particular when income is oftentimes reduced and the pensioners still have to navigate high inflation, the upward movement in the price of food, medication and other goods and services.

Mrs Miller stressed the importance of budgeting during this season of life, as it is easy to overspend when a close eye is not kept on purchases.

“As a pensioner, not only are you faced with reduced income, increased prices but significantly, many seniors as they age must also factor in increased cost of healthcare and the cost of long term care and assistance if and when you are no longer able to manage on your own.  Therefore, it is important to be thrifty in your spending,” she explained.

Tracking of spending is one way of ensuring that money is not wasted on unnecessary purchases. Mrs Miller informed that for those seniors not averse to technology, using a budgeting app would be beneficial. With aggressive tracking of expenses and making some other spending adjustments, the savings can be great, she advised.

Some of these apps include the Mint app, which helps seniors keep an eye on their budgets and finances and budget simple, a free online budgeting tool.

“I would recommend frugal spending as much as possible, shopping where they can get the best prices, taking advantages of rewards and utilising substitutes wherever possible instead of the higher priced products,” said Mrs Miller.

Take advantage of discounts for seniors wherever they are available, she said. Noting that sometimes seniors may be asked to prove their eligibility, pensioners should be prepared with the appropriate documents; proof of age or government-issued identification would be sufficient.   She also recommended teaming up with close friends or family members to purchase groceries in bulk.

To supplement their income, seniors should explore the option of monetising their hobbies, Mrs Miller advised.

“If you have a hobby that you can monetise, you should do that. Even if you can develop a new skill that can bring in income, you should explore that. For example, if you are a teacher, you can offer tutoring services during your retirement,” she said.

Another avenue which could be pursued is property rental which would generate income.  Mrs Miller informed that seniors who have a large home may consider downsizing and converting a section of the property to provide rental income.

She noted that owning a large home may not make sense. For some the option of selling their current home and purchasing a smaller house or condo might be more practical and attractive. This will not only reduce home expenses, but also make life less stressful in terms of cleaning and maintenance.

The JN BeWi$e Financial Empowerment team lead suggested that seniors also start a backyard garden where they can cultivate vegetables or general cash crops which could  generate an income, but at the very least, reduce or eliminate purchases of these items.

“Vegetables such as calaloo, peppers, and tomatoes are among crops easily cultivated and they mature in a short period of time. The produce from gardening can help to offset buying them at the markets and the surplus can be sold.  Gardening will not only keep seniors busy, reducing boredom, but has the added advantage of providing them with the exercise they need to keep fit , warding off or helping to manage some lifestyle diseases,” she explained.

Life coach and gender specialist, Carla Moore is encouraging persons to practise more self-care by learning to accept assistance from others instead of trying to do everything on their own.

 “Self-care is recognising that my dreams are bigger than this fear [of asking for help]. So, I’m going to ask for what I need so that my dreams can come out of my chest and begin to live in the world. Self-care is about having the courage [to admit that you need support],” she said, as she noted that one cannot expect to accomplish everything on their own.

Self-care is the process of taking care of oneself with behaviours that promote health and active management of illness when it occurs.

Moore was a guest on the JN Circle Thrive Together Life Class series, where she was participating in a discussion on the topic: ‘Me, myself and I: Selfishness or Self-care?’

“Self-care is a part of your personal greatness, because one form of self-care is allowing other persons to add their energy to what you are trying to do. Think about it this way, one person trying to launch a business on their own, has a very different experience from a person who has a team of five,” she noted.

She further pointed out that it is important for people to be honest with themselves and seek external help.

“It is a deep and pure honesty to say ‘Am I caring for myself if I continue to act in the way that I’m acting? And if I continue like this, will all of the greatness in me make it out in this lifetime?’ If the answer is no, then you need to change tactics”.

Dania Beckford, publicist and chief executive officer of Broadtail Designs, who was also a guest at the session, said that communication is also key to self-care.

“Sometimes, your family members and your circle want to support you but might not be able to do it at that particular time, so that is why it is important that it is communicated that they are unable to do the task right now and indicate when they can do it,” she explained. “So, communication is part of how we self-care and how we care for others,” she said.

Season four of the JN Circle Thrive Together Life Class, started on July 22 and will continue until September 7. The session, which is moderated by Kamala McWhinney, associate clinical psychologist, seeks to empower JN members and customers.

The discussion topics have so far included, ‘Spotting a Tinder Swindler: The Dos and Don’ts of Online Dating in Jamaica and the ‘Vow: Yours? Mine? Ours? – A Look at Boundaries within Marriages’.

Persons can register to join the sessions at ja.myjncircle.com, or they can watch and participate via the JN Group’s Facebook Page.

The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 17 at 6:30 p.m. and the topic will be: ‘Manifesting: The Art of Being Intentional’.

The Jamaica National Group has launched a pilot of a plastic recycling programme among its employees as it aims to collect 530,000 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles over the next 12 months. PET bottles include soda and water bottles and other soft drink bottles.

Omar Wright, lead, Environment and Community Development Programmes at the JN Foundation, in announcing the initiative said that the programme is part of a much larger initiative under the JN Group’s Environmental Sustainability Programme, which is a five-year initiative, targeted at reducing deforestation, strengthening waste management, and promoting water conservation and energy efficiency.

“This initiative is an acceptance of our responsibility to limit not only our negative impact on the environment as much as possible, but to demonstrate that the private sector also has a leadership role to play in achieving environmental sustainability in our country and in our global village,” he said.

“We must support the continued promotion of environmental awareness and practice in Jamaica to ensure the economic and social wellbeing of all our people – both present and future,” he added.

Kimberly Gardner, marketing relations officer at the JN Group said the initiative will start at four  JN Group locations and will be expanded.

In partnership with JN Properties, a member company of the JN Group and janitorial and property services company, EnviroTech, labelled recycle bins have been placed strategically in these locations to facilitate collection of PET bottles for recycling.

The bottles will then be transported to Recycle Partners of Jamaica, where a percentage of the proceeds gained from the bottles will be donated to ‘Funds to Fuel a Nation’, a project of the JN Foundation, which provides financial support to the Mustard Seed Communities and educational support to children.

“We invite all employees of The Jamaica National Group to support this initiative. Let us play our part in protecting the environment,” she said during the launch.

“Let us practise the 3Rs – ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’ Space in our landfill and dumps are limited, and the conditions in these spaces make it nearly impossible for anything, including plastic, to biodegrade. Recycling plastic water bottles helps to conserve space that can be used for other waste. Recycling can also help reduce the number of plastic water bottles that end up as litter in roadways and water sources,” she added.

According to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, an estimated 11 million tonnes of plastic waste flow into the world’s oceans every year with experts warning this may triple by 2040.

In Jamaica, plastic accounts for approximately 15 per cent of waste, with the vast majority of it being PET bottles. Jamaica produces 800 million PET bottles annually, and as of September 2019, only 20 per cent this waste has been collected.

The JN Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications for students who participated in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) and will attend school at the secondary level.

Seventeen students will be awarded under the two types of scholarships on offer – the JN Foundation PEP Parish (14) and JN Bank Easi-Save County (3) Scholarships.

The deadline for the submission of applications is Sunday, August 7, and prospective applicants are invited to access the application form on the JN Foundation’s website at www.jnfoundation.com/jn-scholarships/ .

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must have completed the 2022 Primary Exit Profile and should not be a recipient of a government scholarship.

Other requirements are that applicant or parent must have a relationship with a JN Group member company for at least one year – either as a member/customer/client of JN Bank or JN Bank Small Business Loans Division, JN Fund Managers, JN General Insurance, JN Life Insurance, Jamaica Automobile Association or JN Money Services.

Only the biological parent or legal guardian can apply on behalf of the child if the child is without an active JN Bank account.

Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, noted that the Foundation is honoured to be able to support the best and brightest through funding for secondary education.

“Assisted by the generosity of companies with the JN Group, we are able to award some $9 million  in scholarships annually, a significant amount of which goes to our youngest scholars,” she said.

The Foundation currently provides funding for more than 140 youngsters who maintained good grades having initially received the award on successful completion of their PEP exams.

“In September, many will commence fifth form, and will conclude the tenure of the scholarship at year’s end. At the same time, in September we will welcome a new cohort who will commence this five-year journey with their JN Family. It is an exciting and rewarding period,” she added.

The JN Foundation PEP Scholarships will be awarded to one recipient from each parish, while the JN Bank Easi-Save County Scholarship will go to one child from each county.  The PEP Scholarships are also available to children of employees of The Jamaica National Group. 

Ever wondered how our parishes got their names? Which is the oldest parish in Jamaica and even how the parishes were divided?  If these are thoughts that have crossed your mind, we invite you to learn about the remarkable history of Jamaican parishes by visiting the Parish Histories of Jamaica website at www.parishhistoriesofjamaica.org.

The Parish Histories of Jamaica project was developed by the JN Foundation, in partnership with the Department of History and Archaeology, at The University of the West Indies. The project seeks to capture and document the unique histories of all 14 parishes in Jamaica and make it available via the website. These histories portray to readers the major historical highlights and developments in each parish.

Michelle McIntosh Harvey is a caregiver at heart. As a member of the Lion’s Club of Kingston for more than 20 years, she has always been active in her community and is continuously seeking ways to assist those in need.

In fact, each Christmas and Easter holiday, she would open her heart and home to children from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) – a tradition she looked forward to every year. But when she was approached to foster a child fulltime, Mrs Harvey hesitated, thinking it was a challenge for which she wasn’t fully prepared.

“At the time, I was a caregiver for my mother, during the last few years of her life, and I wasn’t sure I could take on the additional responsibility,” she said.

Although uncertain, the Director of Financial Management and Accounting Services at the CPFSA ,decided to invite the then three year-old, along with another child to her home for Christmas. That one chance encounter changed her life forever.

“I would say he came, he saw, and he conquered, because I took one look at him and it was love at first sight,” the beaming mom expressed. “He just came and stole our hearts.”

At the end of his stay, Mrs Harvey decided she could not part ways with Omar, whom she described as a very quiet and loving child. “I told myself I wasn’t sending him back. After that he just became my handbag, everywhere I went he was with me.”

She even designed his own little vest for the Lion’s Club, so they could attend meetings together.

“When I go anywhere with Omar, if I don’t tell people that he’s adopted they don’t know, because we look so much alike. There’s a baby picture of him that when I put it beside a picture of my sister’s son at that same age they look exactly alike,” she said.

It didn’t take long for Mrs Harvey to make the decision to formally adopt Omar. This involved going through all the necessary steps, including home visits from representatives of the CPFSA to the final court visit where a judge grants the legal order of adoption.  

Though there have been challenges, Mrs Harvey admitted that being an adoptive mom has been a truly joyful and rewarding experience. “We connected from day one. I tend to be affectionate and he’s a very loving child…so we feed off each other,” she said.

She noted that the key is love and completely giving of oneself, adding that the power of this role supersedes biology and is ultimately one the greatest expressions of selfless love. 

Mrs Harvey is being featured as part of The Jamaica National Group’s All That She Is movement, which is celebrating women who have taken a different route to motherhood.   

“I recall when my mother passed a few years ago and I was sitting there and bawling. He came to me and asked, ‘mommy you crying for grandma again? Remember you have me you know.’ And those words just changed the whole picture. And I realised I needed to get myself together, because I have my son and the two of us can move forward together,” she said.

Mrs Harvey, who was a single mother for most of the journey, said she drew inspiration from the parents who make up her support system, including her close friends and siblings.

“If I have a concern, then I will speak to someone who has done it before. I have friends who have raised boys only and I will call and ask them for advice.”

And as the years roll by, Mrs Harvey reflects on the decision she made more than a decade ago and knows she would have done it all over again.

Though the years continue to bring them new adventures, triumphs and challenges – she’s now a newlywed and Omar is now almost 15-years-old – what has remained constant is the love and bond they share.

“He’s a happy, adventurous child, who keeps me on my toes, and I look forward to the rest of our lives.”

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Sophie’s Place, a children’s home for special needs children, benefitted from the planting of a vegetable garden and an infrastructural facelift of its outdoor sensory therapy area by members of The Jamaica National Group on Labour Day.

Chevanese Peters, programme coordinator at the JN Foundation said that The Jamaica National Group has adopted the Mustard Seed Communities and have worked with the organisation for some 17 years.

“Sophie’s Place is one of 11 apostolates that the Mustard Seed Communities has across the island and what they have asked us to do here  is part of a longer project that we have taken on in supporting the organisation, is to revive their sensory area as many of the children have some disability. The sensory area would stimulate them,” she explained.

Ms Peters said the JN Foundation Act!on volunteers painted the sensory area with bright colours. They also created a vegetable garden, where the home will be able to reap from to prepare meals for the children.

Christine Madden-Watson, administrator of Sophie’s Place expressed her gratitude to the volunteers.

“For the past 17 years, The Jamaica National Group has partnered with the Mustard Seeds Communities and Sophie’s Place. The project looks amazing and the sensory area looks lively with the bright colours that have been used to paint the area. I just want to say thank you to The Jamaica National Group,” she said.

Mrs Madden-Watson said that the therapy area deteriorated during the pandemic but with the facelift, the children will greatly benefit. She explained that sensory play helps to build nerve connections to the brain, improving cognitive growth and encouraging children to develop motor skills.

 “I just want to say thank you JN and the children and members of staff are appreciative of the work that was done,” she said.

Natassia Lawrence, member service representation at JN Bank who was among the volunteers said she was happy to be involved in the project.

“I love giving back especially to those who are in need of help. It is a very good feeling to see the smile on someone’s face when you give assistance,” she shared.

Sophie’s Place is home to 21 residents including 15 boys and six girls. They have varying disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to down syndrome.