VOLUNTEERS from Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Resorts across the island came out in their numbers to take part in Labour Day initiatives in several communities last Thursday.

In keeping with the 2013 Labour Day theme ‘Lend a Hand, Build our Land’, the resorts placed specific focus on assisting vulnerable persons and groups in the society ranging from developments in health centres, schools and infirmaries to tree planting and other environmental and hygiene programmes.

The Whitehouse Health Centre received a long-awaited overhaul as close to 50 Sandals Whitehouse employees and community members gave the main building repainted the building, including the inside waiting area. The team also built and added a brand new entrance door, a recent eye sore and struggle for many nurses, as well as mowed overgrown grass and cleaned up the entire area.

“Our health centre really needed this,” said Nurse Jacqueline Smith Daley. “I can recall the last time we did some painting on the inside was in 2005 and this was made possible through the fundraising efforts of the nurses. We weren’t able to come up with the funds since then to give the outer walls a new look, and Sandals Whitehouse made it happen. Everything seems brighter and more accommodating, which ought to be the standard look for all our Health Facilities.”

Meanwhile, some 80 volunteers from the Ocho Rios region, comprising team members from Sandals Grande Riviera, Beaches Ocho Rios and Sandals Royal Plantation, carried out a number of activities at the St. Ann Infirmary. The team painted sections of the administrative building and wards, served lunch to the residents and engaged them in devotional activities and personal hygiene treatment.

“We are extremely grateful to Sandals for their labour of love on this day” noted Matron Sharmain Davidson, who highlighted that Sandals’ contribution went far beyond Labour Day as the team always provides assistance throughout the year.

Sandals Grande Riviera General Manager Brian Roper, who was a part of the team of volunteers, said “this is just another way of us giving back to the community and showing how much Sandals is committed to its role as good corporate citizens.”

Over in Montego Bay Region, team members, Sandals guests and parents from the school community banded together to give the Chetwood Primary school on Queen’s Drive in Montego Bay a brand new look.

The Labour Day project for the Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Resorts was the Negril Health Centre which saw over 30 volunteers from these resorts painting the facility, cleaning up rubble and planting flowers.

Verlie James, parish manager for Westmoreland Public Health Services, expressed his appreciation to the Sandals team in the Negril and Whitehouse Region, noting that the projects were timely and would certainly lift the spirits of the staff and users of the facilities.

“With so many health centres across the island, it’s difficult for the government to find adequate resources to meet the needs of all the facilities and so it is good when businesses can come on board and fill the gap where it exists. We appreciate the team for having made the Negril and Whitehouse Health Centres their Labour Day 2013 projects and trust that the partnerships with the facilities will continu,” she remarked.