Child Month 2022 was an active one for quick service food giant Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ) as members of the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurant and restaurant support teams dedicated the month to service for the nation’s youth.

ROJ’s Child Month activities kicked off on National Children’s Day (May 20) with a donation of 100 meals to the National Child Month Committee (NCMC) National Children’s Day ‘Pickney Party’ & Talent Competition. The virtual event was broadcast live from the Institute of Jamaica Lecture Hall on East Street.

Highlighting ROJ’s continued commitment to supporting initiatives focused on youth development, Brand Manager Andrei Roper shared, “Since its inception, youth development has been a key pillar of ROJ’s operations. As a result, all our brands are actively engaged in youth upliftment programmes, whether through the restaurants or through our KFC Add Hope outreach programme.

“This year is no different. Our children have been through so much over the past two years; due to the pandemic, some have missed either the first two or the last two years of face-to-face classes at their current institutions, which can profoundly affect the developing mind. Therefore, it was important for KFC and Pizza Hut to lend some support throughout Child Month to show them that we care,” Roper said.

The series of activities continued on Labour Day with a visit to the Glen Hope Children’s Home, where a team of employees from several Pizza Hut restaurant locations carried out beautification activities. While on-site, the team also hosted a special lunch for the institution’s 30 wards and staff members.

Expressing gratitude, Glen Hope Nursery Manager Fayola Cole enthusiastically explained, “The experience with the Pizza Hut team was awesome. They were energetic and enthused from the moment they arrived, and I could see how much value they placed in this project.”

She continued, “The staff was happy to see that even after completing work, the team took the time to serve and interact with the children and ensure that they were all happy. Creating a visually pleasing environment for the children at the home is essential, and we thank Pizza Hut for helping us to provide that. I look forward to a continued partnership between Glen Hope and Pizza Hut.”

Pizza Hut’s activities continued on May 25 and 26 with visits to Harbour View Primary, Portmore Missionary Prep, and Merl Grove High school to hand over meal vouchers. The team also catered lunch for Grade 6 students at Harrison Preparatory in Spanish Town and May Pen Primary School.

Samuels, a May Pen Primary team member who attended the lunch event, noted, “Having only recently returned to face-to-face classes, the Grade 6 students were delighted to be treated to lunch and games by Pizza Hut. This treat was a nice way to celebrate their recent examinations and relieve some exam stress. Thank you to Pizza Hut for creating this opportunity for our children.”

ROJ will wrap up its Child Month 2022 activities with KFC’s sponsorship of the NCMC National Children’s Day Talent Competition Awards, scheduled for June 1.

KFC’s support will include the provision of meals as well as a donation of $100,000 towards prizes and meal packages for winners.