GRACE Foods gifted five educational institutions with a total of $4 million during the official handover event for the company’s corporate social responsibility initiative — Graceful Wish.

The handover was held on May 24, 2024 at the GraceKennedy Group office on Harbour Street, downtown Kingston.

Launched in November 2023, Grace Foods’ ‘Graceful Wish’ initiative invited the public to nominate projects and institutions that are in the category of early childhood education, community development, and youth development through sports.

Embracing the spirit of the festive season, the company’s aim was to grant wishes and spread joy within communities across Jamaica.

More than 100 nominations were received, with 10 institutions and projects being shortlisted by a committee. The public voted on Grace Foods’
Instagram page, and the following institutions/projects received the most votes — Elim Early Childhood, Portmore, St Catherine; Nazareth Basic School, Maidstone, Manchester; Cromarty Grove Early Childhood Development Centre, Spanish Town, St Catherine; Alley Infant School, Alley, Clarendon; and Snowden Primary and Infant School, Newport, Manchester.

Elim Early Childhood received $2 million, having accumulated the highest number of votes. In second place was Nazareth Basic School, which received $1 million; Cromarty Grove Early Childhood Development Centre received $500,000 for third place; rounding out the top five were Alley Infant, and Snowden Primary and Infant School, which each received $250,000.

The funds are to go directly towards development work at each institution.

The work will range from erecting a fence, the building of additional classrooms, and putting in a netball court.

“Doing the handover in Child Month is especially significant and meaningful for Grace Foods, as education and youth development is an integral part of our focus as a company,” said Karen Mussington, shopper experience manager at Grace Foods.

She added that it was even more symbolic that the top five projects were educational institutions, showing the impact and significant role schools play in Jamaica.

“Grace Foods stands committed to supporting the growth and development of Jamaica’s youth, and we are excited about launching this year’s Graceful Wish campaign later this year,” added Mussington.

In the meantime, Venice Williams Burrell, principal of Elim Early Childhood, expressed joy at receiving the $2 million donation from Grace Foods.

“We are really grateful; we have been in need of renovations for a while and this prize will go a long way in allowing us to expand our resources and create a more conducive learning environment for our students,” said Williams Burrell.

For her part, Tamara Thompson, general manager of Grace Foods, said the entity was delighted to see the positive impact that the Graceful Wish initiative has had on the institutions, “and we are excited to see how the funds will help them to enhance and transform their teaching and learning spaces”.

Sharing that the ethos of Grace Foods is anchored on the mantra “We Care”, Thompson noted that the company takes pride in investing in, and connecting with communities across Jamaica to positively impact lives.

“We are happy to play our part in contributing to a brighter future for Jamaica, and our youth and their education play a major role in making that bright future a reality,” said Thompson.