‘We want to bring joy, not just tears’

Exodus Funeral Service’s Managing Director Terrol Green prepares backpacks for distribution. (Photos: Ingrid Henry) ANNOTTO BAY, ST Mary — What began as a casual conversation about providing 10 needy students with back-to-school supplies grew into a partnership between a funeral home and the police that saw more than 1,000 school bags distributed in this parish. Giving back was already a tradition for Exodus Funeral Service’s Managing Director Terrol Green, so when the officer in charge of Castleton Police Station, Sergeant Dalton Henry, approached him with the idea, he was happy to help. Green and his team worked with the Castleton, Annotto Bay and Islington police stations to spread their generosity across a wide area. The cops identified the students who would benefit, and Exodus was in familiar territory as it has been doing back-to-school treats for a long time. For everyone involved it was more than charity, it was about the communities they serve. “For more than 15 years we have been giving back,” Green told the Jamaica Observer. From left: Constable Shelli-Ann Williams, CEO of Exodus Funeral Services, Errol Green; Exodus Funeral Service’s Managing Director Terrol Gree; and Detective Sergeant Alwayne Taylor with back packs to be distributed in the Islington police area. “Before, it was just school materials with school supplies. This year we decided to give backpacks to children who were in need of them,” he added. That heart for service started where Green and his staff least expected it — at the funerals they facilitated. “We gave away over 200 bags to children who came with their parents. We are not new to reaching out to the communities in this manner,” Green said. “Our job is not just to bury, our job is to serve the living too. We want to bring joy, not just tears.” He explained that the goal was simple: Take pressure off parents and put smiles on children’s faces. Chief executive officer of Exodus Funeral Services, Errol Green goes through the backpacks to be distributed across the three police divisions of Annotto Bay, Castleton and Islington, in St Mary. “One thousand bags. That is 1,000 worries we could lift,” said Green. “If a child walks into class confident because they have what they need then we have done something right.” Exodus plans to make its annual back-to-school treat different and bigger each year. “We are known for funeral services; we want to be known as the home that is the trendsetter in all we do,” said Green. — Ingrid Henry