GOODWILL, St James — THE sound of electric saws and the banging of hammers reverberated throughout this rural community on Heroes’ Day by a team of El Greco Hotel workers who were busy providing a facelift to the rickety guidance counsel department at the Goodwill Primary and Infant School.

The crew was prompted into action after word of the dilapidated state of the building that houses the department reached the ears of El Greco Hotel’s sales and marketing coordinator, Ordia Ricketts.

According to Ricketts, in January her hotel provided lunch for participants in a reading competition which was staged at the school by the Social Development Commission (SDC), at which time she was approached by Veronica McKenzie, the school’s guidance counsellor, for assistance to upgrade the building that houses the department.

“There were no chairs in the room , filing cabinets needed to be replaced, and so we decided to take some time and come and offer some support to the school and to see what we can do to renovate the area,” Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer West.

“Most people would want to focus on Maths, English, and all of that, but we know there is a need for guidance and counselling, and so we decided that because of the condition of the room, we needed to do something about it.”

McKenzie reflected that following her first meeting with Ricketts, they became “good friends,” adding that she subsequently asked her if the hotel could assist with the renovation of the guidance counsel room.

“I operate without the proper tools for my job. However, I put all of that aside and see how best I am able to meet the students’ needs. Even though it’s limited resources, I put away all of that to deal with the needs of my population. I have been out there seeking sponsors, and God happened to make me meet Ordia Ricketts, and I told her about my situation… she decided how best she could take it on as a project and she moved along with it,” a grateful Ricketts told Observer West.

People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Somerton Division, Kenneth G Vincent, who also provided some assistance for the project, lauded El Greco Hotel for the initiative.

“I am really pleased to be associated with El Greco to do this project. The section that they are fixing up was really needed because the guidance counsellor really needed her department to work from. It was in a condition that was not so good, no furniture, nothing at all, and El Greco took on this project to really assist the school in setting up the guidance counsellor section, and I am really pleased to know that a private entity could come in to assist with it,” expressed Vincent.

Ricketts in the meantime, lauded other partners, including Kensington Auto Parts and Hardware, who sponsored the paint for the project.