SF Holy Family Home MTP cleanup.
PRESS RELEASE - Five Sandals Foundation Volunteers partnered with various departments of the Sandals Resorts properties in the island to execute a much needed and heart-touching “Challenge Project” at the Holy Family Children’s Home in Ciceron.
The Orphanage is home to over a dozen children who have been abandoned, orphaned, neglected or abused and provides a loving and secure temporary environment. The home however had fallen into disrepair for some time and was in dire need of refurbishment and renovation.
The Challenge Project was selected by persons in the Management Trainee Programme (MTP) – Jamaica born Torshie Brown and Danielle Daley, Christopher Boyce from Barbados and Rochelle Casimir and Kevin Albert from St. Lucia. Valued at almost EC $13,000, the project took two days to complete, running from October 16-17.
The aim of the initiative was to enhance the physical space of the dorms at the home. Day one of the project was dedicated to a detailed cleaning by Sandals Halcyon Beach’s Housekeeping team members while day two saw to the repainting of the boys’ area of the home from the properties’ Maintenance Departments.
In addition, Danielle Daley – whose passion for gardening and promoting the importance of growing one’s own food – undertook the challenge of building and installing three garden boxes to assist with the kitchen’s produce needs. Seeds ranging from carrots, tomatoes and an assortment of beans were planted and a variety of seedlings were donated for the caretakers to sustain the garden.
Martina Daniel, Assistant Administrator at Holy Family noted “our young residents are honoured to be in the thoughts of the Sandals Foundation volunteers. When they arrived at the home on Friday from school, the excitement about the refurbishment was palpable as the children could not stop talking about it. They are happy and grateful for the assistance. We all are.”
Main sponsors of the project came from the family of Sandals Halcyon Beach with the Maintenance department donating 12 gallons of paint, 5 full sheets of plywood and their time. The property’s Housekeeping department took care of cleaning apparatus, solvents & skilled personnel. Other departments such as Training and Development, Emergency Health & Safety and the Office of the General Manager also provided assistance.
Sandals Grande St. Lucian’s Maintenance team built the garden boxes while the Housekeeping team at Sandals Regency La Toc sourced and donated fresh linens for the youngsters.
“The project was a huge success. The support we received from the properties was tremendous. The most amazing element of putting the project together was being able to see firsthand how committed Sandals Resorts team members are to the Sandals Foundation” said MTP Torshie Brown.
She added, “It is clear that when we speak of “Making A Difference” it is a real tangible element of the Sandals Culture and as MTPs in St. Lucia this year we are happy to have been given the opportunity to lead such an initiative. This experience has made a difference in the lives of the children at the Ciceron Home as well as ours.”