‘You can’t just live for yourself’ - 88-y-o Merle Stern awarded for decades of community service

At 88, Merle Stern has little interest in measuring her life by the accolades she has racked up. For the retired justice of the peace, the greater reward has been the opportunity to help people through their difficulties, restore relationships, and ensure that the needs of the vulnerable are not overlooked.

For more than three decades, the Crooked River, Clarendon, resident has been a fixture in community life, earning the trust of residents through her work in the justice system, her advocacy for restorative justice, and her commitment to helping those who might otherwise struggle to navigate official processes.

Her contribution was recognised on Monday when she was among the recipients honoured at the National Heroes Day Salute Parade and Awards Ceremony, a collaboration between the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and the Clarendon Municipal Corporation. Stern was the oldest award recipient.

For her, the recognition carried particular significance because it acknowledged work undertaken not for personal gain, but out of a sense of responsibility to others.

“I feel so good. It’s like a part of my work, a part of my efforts that I put out for my people, not only for the Government, but for the people, especially those in need, [has been recognised], ” she told The Gleaner.

As a justice of the peace, Stern helped residents navigate statutory and administrative processes, assisted with documentation and supported the work of the courts in Chapelton and Frankfield. Her role also extended into the community, where she helped resolve disputes and encouraged residents to pursue peaceful solutions to conflict.

Her involvement in restorative justice was another important dimension of that work. Rather than viewing justice solely through the lens of punishment, restorative approaches encourage accountability, dialogue and efforts to repair harm. Stern was among those who encouraged community members to embrace the approach when it was introduced.

EXTENSION OF SERVICE

Her son, Michael Stern, a politician and community volunteer, said his mother’s service extended across the church, the justice system and the wider community, where residents continued to look to her for leadership.

He told The Gleaner that she had helped encourage people to consider restorative justice, and had also served on a school board, raised funds for community and church initiatives, and supported those in need. He said even at 88, she still raises funds for charity.

For Michael, Monday’s recognition was an opportunity to acknowledge a contribution that can too easily fade from public view when people retire.

“Because many times when you retire, you feel as if you serve, but no one remember what you did on earth, right? So, it’s rewarding,” he said.

He added that his parents, Merle and Osborne Stern, had instilled in him the importance of service and the responsibility to look beyond one’s own circumstances.

“I learnt from them that you can’t live just for yourself. You can’t be just selfish in society. So, we share,” he said.

That principle, Mrs Stern explained, was planted early in her life. She recalled watching her father share breadfruit, mangoes and other produce with people who had less, teaching her that generosity meant recognising the needs of others and responding to them.

“When you are eating, just remember who’s hungry. Just remember who’s hungry beside you,” she said.

She said the lesson has remained central to her approach to community service. Stern believes that helping people requires more than a public display of concern, it demands the patience to listen, the willingness to understand their circumstances and the compassion to act.

“Not only to call them and shake them hand and turn and your heart is not there for them,” she said.

Even at 88, she remains concerned about the challenges facing vulnerable residents and the need to cultivate a stronger sense of responsibility among younger Jamaicans.

Her message to those considering voluntary service is straightforward, “do not make the expectation of payment the condition for helping others.”

“They’re not to do everything and look for pay, or look for look for a world of things,” she said.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com