It’s a fact of life that in Jamaica taxpayers’ money can’t be stretched to meet all needs.

For that reason, governments have always required all the help that’s possible from those with capacity and desire.

Health and education rank high among publicly-funded sectors which benefit immensely from the support of private charities and support groups.

Long may such entities prosper, such as the Mrs Katrin Casserly-led Hanover Charities, renowned down the decades for good deeds in Hanover, western Jamaica.

Now, as Hanover Charities prepares for its main fund-raiser — next month’s prestigious annual black-tie, red-carpet, Sugar Cane Ball at the luxurious Round Hill Hotel & Villas, and related week-long activities — we are told that plans are in place to re-establish a breakfast programme for primary schools.

The programme was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic which hit with catastrophic consequences in early 2020.

“This is definitely something we want to [do], in addition to all our other projects which we will continue running because those have now become part of us,” Mrs Casserly told this newspaper.

Last year, Hanover Charities reportedly received record donations of more than $125 million to fund projects.

In the education sector they included innovative renovation of containers to create study areas and laboratories; along with classroom furniture for schools, including the upgraded Dalmally Basic.

We are told that last year 219 students from high school to master’s degree level benefited from scholarships worth $37 million in total.

Scholarship winners are encouraged to study a wide range of subjects, including medicine, law, social work, engineering, and agriculture, and to eventually give back to their home parish and country.

Outside of education, in 2024 Hanover Charities was able to fund two additional soup kitchens — New Milns and Hopewell — alongside Kitchen of Love in Lucea. We are told that the charity now feeds more than 1,000 people once per week “thanks to an army of volunteers coming together from various churches to cook and serve…”

Last year the charity also provided Westhaven Children’s Home and Lucea Infirmary with mattresses, clothing, and sanitary supplies.

Given all of the above, it’s no wonder that Hanover educators are heaping praise on Hanover Charities and its chair.

“Hanover Charities is one of the best things that ever happened to my school. Mrs Casserly is a gem to Hanover schools. Most of the appliances that I have at my school right now come from Hanover Charities. Our latest donation… is a half-a-million-dollar copier,” Mr Ryan Pusey, principal of Cave Valley Primary School, told this newspaper.

And acting principal of Hopewell High School, Mr Leroy Gordon, is reportedly equally thankful to Hanover Charities for the school’s soon-to-be-completed auto mechanic classroom which is to be housed in a retrofitted container.

“We are on the final phase of finishing the construction now…We wouldn’t have got this far without the donation,” Mr Gordon said.

Beyond all of the above, we believe it’s important to recognise the power of example from the work being done by Hanover Charities.

Let’s imagine how much could be achieved if every parish had charitable initiatives along the lines and scope outlined here.

That’s food for thought, we believe.