Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

While it is quite easy for some to simply write a cheque, there are charities that require more than just a donation, but critical personal intervention to effectively manage the behavioural change necessary to help in building better individuals and, consequently, a better people and nation.

One such organisation is the Association of Friends and Families Against Substance Abusers - AFAFOSA. The organisation was launched in 2003 by eminent jurist K. Churchill Neita, and is now headed by businessman Steve Ashley.

It seeks to address what most agree is at least one of the core causes of crime in this country - drug and/or substance abuse.

Statistics will show a direct correlation between substance abuse and escalating criminal activity, and it is the mandate of AFAFOSA to arrest the abuse by acting as a conduit for abusers to access treatment, as well as to facilitate mediation between the courts, and use treatment as an option as against straight incarceration.

To this end, on Friday last, Ashley and his fabulous wife Betty hosted a cocktail reception at the Guardsman Group headquarters on Old Hope Road to sensitise the wider Jamaican community to the organisation and its services, as well as to raise funds for its programmes. There was a silent auction that saw guests bidding on various packages made available by corporate Jamaica.

Among the notables out were Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall and Lady Hall; Security Minister Colonel Trevor MacMillan and wife Dr Olivia MacDonald; Transport Minister Mike Henry; Ambassador Satya Nandan; Nii Allotey Odunton; UNESCO's Dr Simon Clarke; outgoing permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security Gilbert Scott; Chief Justice Zaila McCalla; Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown; Resident Magistrate Stephanie Jackson-Haisley; Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker; Dr Myo Kyaw Oo; a fab looking Cindy Breakspeare, her son Christian Tavares-Finson and his fab companion Tammy McConnell.

Also out was the famed Steven 'Cat' Coore; the lovely Mira Lim; Horace and Josephine Bogues; Tanny Shirley; Laker Levers; Beverline Brown Smith; Harold Brady; R. Christene King; Mark and Julie Jones, their son Anders Jones and his companion Tanya Widmer, who both jetted in from California for the weekend; Rajiv Bakshi; the oh-so-elegant Sonja Sutherland Dumetz; the oh-so dapper Donahue Jarrett, on his way to London; Andrea Moore; her sibling Dwight Moore and his wife Sharon, who is expecting the stork soon; Joseph Adduci; the lovely Pamela Redwood; the very charming Joyce Young; Robbie Epstein; the charming Merline Daley; the charming Kathy-Ann Pyke; Raymond Pryce; Glenda Prescod; Sgt Barbara Josephs; Miguel Bernard; the fab Audrey Miller, plus a number of others.