IN line with its long-standing effort to provide a nurturing environment for children, the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew (KCWSA) recently donated a range of breakfast products to Red Hills, Cooreville Gardens, and Laura’s basic schools.

Other items, such as reading and colouring books, crayons and clothes, were also handed over.

Principal of Red Hills Basic School Charmaine Williams noted that the donations were timely in light of the fact that the school no longer receives subsidy support from the Government for breakfast, only for lunch. She said the items, which included milk, cornflakes, eggs, sugar, cornmeal, and flour, will help to shore up the school’s pantry as some of her 94 students do not consistently receive breakfast before leaving home due to financial and other challenges, which also affect the payment of school fees.

“We really appreciate the partnership the KCWSA has forged with us over the years, especially the ongoing contribution of breakfast items. We have some children on the PATH programme who don’t get breakfast before coming to school in the mornings. The club has built classrooms and bathrooms for us, and is an ardent supporter of nutritious meals to kickstart the children’s learning journey in the mornings,” she disclosed.

The club’s Young Priority One Committee Director Ionie Henry explained that the club’s volunteers are highly motivated to serve the nation’s children and are guided by words from the late American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead who declared: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

“The Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew has had the benefit of some extremely committed members throughout its 40 years of adding value to the nation’s children. Pooling our efforts has always registered meaningful impact on the children we serve. We invite others to collaborate with us so more meaningful change can reach the children,” she said.

The handover at Red Hills Basic School was done two weeks ago, while deliveries to the other schools happened a week prior.

The service club’s association with the Red Hills school, in particular, goes back to the late 90s, with the building of the school’s infrastructure and regular donations to support the breakfast programme.