jnf newsletter july 2014

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QUARTER 2 AT A GLANCE During the second quarter of 2014, the JN Foundation continued its mandate to implement and execute impactful activities across Jamaica. Topping the previous quarter with an increase in volunteers and the number of projects undertaken, it was a busy yet rewarding period for all involved! The JN Foundation’s slogan, “Innovating, Inspiring, Impacting”, has been connecting with many, and this is evident based on the overwhelming support Action Jamaica has been receiving. The volunteer arm has now officially recruited a total of 500 members, with the numbers likely to climb as we go forward. With the impressive number, the Action Volunteer Corp recorded the largest mobilization of volunteers on Labour Day, participating in projects across the island. The first ever JAA Junior Club Road Safety Rally was held on June 28, 2014 and what a day that was! A day filled with exuberance, the activity saw the support of hundreds of persons walking the streets in support of road safety awareness, and later converging in the heart of Half-Way-Tree to further promote the cause. Many of you joined our journeys both in body and in spirit and for that, we say thank you. ACT!ON JAMAICA Yielding to the many requests from organizations for a volunteer service; as well as an increased recognition of the importance of volunteerism, JN Foundation was propelled into action to form its own volunteer corp. Established in 2011, Act!on 1 RESOLUTION PROJECT AWARDS July 15th @ 3pm, Olympia Gallery 202 Old Hope Road To find out more call 926-1344 Ext: 4749 JULY 2014 Newsletter

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During the second quarter of 2014, the JN Foundation continued its mandate to implement and execute impactful activities across Jamaica. Topping the previous quarter with an increase in volunteers and the number of projects undertaken, it was a busy yet rewarding period for all involved!

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Page 1: JNF Newsletter July 2014

!QUARTER 2 AT A GLANCE !During the second quarter of 2014, the JN Foundation continued its mandate to implement and execute impactful activities across Jamaica. Topping the previous quarter with an increase in volunteers and the number of projects undertaken, it was a busy yet rewarding period for all involved! !The JN Foundation’s slogan, “Innovating, Inspiring, Impacting”, has been connecting with many, and this is evident based on the overwhelming support Action Jamaica has been receiving. The volunteer arm has now officially recruited a total of 500 members, with the numbers likely to climb as we go forward. With the impressive number, the Action Volunteer Corp recorded the largest mobilization of volunteers on Labour Day, participating in projects across the island.

!The first ever JAA Junior Club Road Safety Rally was held on June 28, 2014 and what a day that was! A day filled with exuberance, the activity saw the support of hundreds of persons walking the streets in support of road safety awareness, and later converging in the heart of Half-Way-Tree to further promote the cause. !Many of you joined our journeys both in body and in spirit and for that, we say thank you. !ACT!ON JAMAICA !Yielding to the many requests from organizations for a volunteer service; as well as an increased recognition of the importance of volunteerism, JN Foundation was propelled into action to form its own volunteer corp. Established in 2011, Act!on

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RESOLUTION PROJECT AWARDS July 15th @ 3pm, Olympia Gallery

202 Old Hope Road To find out more call 926-1344

Ext: 4749

JULY 2014 Newsletter

Page 2: JNF Newsletter July 2014

Jamaica was created to allow for a more structured, simple and organized approach to volunteering. A national volunteer programme, members are able to volunteer to be a part of projects, initiated by both the JNBS Foundation and other external organizations. !The interest in volunteerism has been steadily growing, and its impact has been far reaching. Within the last three months, more than 230 members of the volunteer body have touched the lives of more than 1500 beneficiaries through the provision of support and services at 13 events across the island. !ACTION Highlights: !Five new organizations applied for and received support from the JN Foundation in the last quarter. !They comprise of the Braeton Police and St. Andrew South Police Youth Clubs, Grennel’s Driving School, Y.U.T.E Limited and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). ! !Our General Manager, Saffrey Brown, presented at the USAID’s World Learning Conference on corporate and national volunteerism. She underscored the importance of formalizing volunteerism as a valid and formidable structure in organizations and economies. !

!LABOUR DAY 2014 !The Membership Advisory Council (MAC) and Act!on Jamaica collaborated to execute another highly successful Labour Day exercise, covering all fourteen parishes. !The Member Advisory Council was responsible for a total of 23 Labour Day initiatives that carried a collective value of $800,000. Twenty-two of these were community-centred and selected through the MAC branch network. The efforts of the MAC Labour day initiative benefitted 45,000 Jamaicans. !Identifying two project sites for Labour Day activities, Act!on Jamaica volunteers helped to give a well needed facelift to the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre and the Port Antonio Infant School. A total of 77 volunteers were mobilized to cover the two sites to carry out renovation exercises. !The Port Antonio Infant School was chosen as one of the two projects, largely because of the school’s need for a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing learning environment for students. !Both volunteers and the school’s faculty were thrilled by the presence of Reggae musicians, Queen Ifrica and Tony Rebel, who joined in on the day’s activities,

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FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

Page 3: JNF Newsletter July 2014

performing minor repair work and repainting the school. !After the completion of the project, Mrs. Jennifer Buchannan, principal of Port Antonio Infant School, gave a heartwarming vote of thanks on behalf of the teachers and parents. She expressed delight in seeing the exemplary work displayed by participants who gave their time and energy to improve the environment for the 150 students enrolled. !ACT!ON VOLUNTEERS JOIN HELLSHIRE BEACH CLEAN-UP !The Hellshire Beach, most commonly known for its mouth-watering fried fish, festival and bammy, was the site for a beach clean-up. Led by the Braeton Police Youth Club, the clean-up exercise was held in commemoration of World Ocean Day. !The youth club had solicited the support of Act!on of Jamaica, which resulted in the participation of twenty two Act!on volunteers journeying to the beach to join the effort. !

The initiative, which was the most recent on the youth club’s roster of environmentally focused events, was also recognized as one of NEPA’s National Environmental Awareness Week’s activities. !Exercises such as these are not just aesthetically beneficial but are necessary for governing agencies to determine the origin of the pollution of our water sources and to take the required steps to prevent it. !ACTION JAMAICA PROVIDES HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS !More than 150 homeless people who frequent the Poor Relief Shelter on Hanover Street and its environs are healthier and happier as a result of the first staging of the Act!on Jamaica’s Health Fair for the Homeless. The group of beneficiaries ranged from children to senior citizens. !Recognizing the dearth of facilities and services that focus on healthcare for the homeless, the JN Foundation Act!on Volunteer Corps sought the assistance of service organizations and corporate entities to offer well needed services. !Registrants benefitted from vision testing by the Lion’s Club and dental checks free of cost, as well as the distribution of clothing, food and care packages. With aid from the Jamaica Dental Association, Wellington Dental provided four practitioners who were able to conduct dental checks and provide dental cleaning for 15 homeless persons. !Food for the Poor contributed clothing and 115 care packages for distribution and Indies Pharma provided 100 bottles of tonic to boost the immune system of the attendees. !One beneficiary expressed gratitude to the organizers, after receiving his personal items, “the things them nice and the people them nice too,” he said. !!!!!

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FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

Page 4: JNF Newsletter July 2014

EYELITE HEALTH FAIR ENLISTS THE SUPPORT OF ACTION JAMAICA !Twenty eight Act!on Jamaica volunteers lent a hand at the ninth staging of the Eyelite Health Fair, held on May 30, 2014. !Catering to the needs of more than 1500 children from 25 Kingston-based schools, the fair was held at the Jessie Ripoll Primary School. Attendees benefitted from a suite of health checks, including ear, teeth and eye testing. Contributions from several corporate entities ensured that glasses were provided at no cost to those who needed them. !The JN Act!on Volunteers maintained the crowd’s order and flow ensuring that attendees were seen sequentially. They were also involved in preparing the health practitioners’ tools and added that extra special touch that helped the young ones to stay calm while being attended to by the medical practitioners. !!JAA JUNIOR CLUB !BEHIND THE SCENES ACCESS AT JRDC’S CARNIVAL OF SPEED !The JAA Junior Club members who volunteered at the Carnival of Speed at the Dover raceway on April 21 and May 25, 2014 can attest to the fact that nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like the roar of an engine on the race track.

The club members were beneficiaries of a partnership programme between the JAA Junior Club and the Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC), which gave them firsthand experience and insight into the multi-million dollar world of motor racing.

Saffrey Brown, General Manager of the JN Foundation noted, “through this partnership with the JRDC, we hope to get students involved in motor sporting, event management and track management and more importantly emphasize the fact that racing is for the track and not for public roads. JAA Junior Club members, who may not want to drive competitively, but still be a part of racing, are also exposed to career opportunities not normally emphasized in the media, such as mechanics or even track management," she said.

Members of JAA Junior Clubs from Cornwall College, William Knibb Memorial High School, Montego Bay High School, Green Pond High School and Godfrey Stewart High School have volunteered at the Dover Raceway.

HUNDREDS ANSWER THE CALL TO ROAD SAFETY RALLY !In a festive atmosphere, hundreds of road safety advocates took to the streets of Half-Way-Tree and its environs to participate in the first staging of the JAA Junior Club’s Rally for Road Safety. Held on June 28, 2014, the event marked the end of a month long series of activities planned by JAA and

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FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

Page 5: JNF Newsletter July 2014

JAA Junior Club in recognition of Road Safety Month. !The rally was flagged off by Earl Jarrett, JAA Chairman and led by the Jamaica Combined Cadet Corps marching band. With two processions leaving from the YMCA and the other from South Avenue, both converged in the heart of Half-Way-Tree in front of the JNBS Chief Office. Comprehensive crash mapping data indicates that Half-Way-Tree is the area with the highest incidence of crashes island wide, therefore influencing the decision for it to be the most ideal location for the procession’s point of convergence for all in attendance. Supporters who came out for the cause included JAA Junior Club members, Act!on Jamaica Volunteers and JAA volunteers. !It was impossible to miss the sea of yellow and black as participants moved through the streets holding banners, placards and flags emblazoned with clear and practical road safety messages! !Winding down with the same level of excitement as it began, the morning’s activities drew to a close with a poignant message from JAA Chairman, Earl Jarrett. The National Road Safety Unit also provided tips for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists from the Road Safety Unit, while the Jamaican Drivers Club expressed their full endorsement of the initiative. !The two-hour long rally also highlighted the JAA’s current road safety campaign “Safe Driving Saves Lives”.

!MY WORLD VIDEO COMPETITION EXCITES ROAD SAFETY ADVOCATES !The JAA Junior Club’s decision to inject a little fun into the serious business of road safety advocacy with the My World Video competition yielded tremendous results. Exclusively contested via social media, the contest garnered just over 78,000 views, 8,500 votes and 28 video entries over a three week period in May. !The My World Video Competition encouraged advocates all across the island to lend their voice to the road safety discussion in a creative and innovative fashion. Entrants were required to create a 30 second video that inspired viewers to not only watch but to visit the UN My World Website and select the issue of better transport and roads as one of the six areas in which the United Nations should focus their attention . !Matthew Simmonds, the winning contestant shared, “I wanted to evoke emotions for the viewers. Therefore, I depicted bad roads and asked the rhetorical question…if these are the roads that they wanted?” !His entry, which highlighted concerns about the island’s road infrastructure and possible exploration of the road network, to be included in the national development plan, earned him 4000 votes.

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FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

Chairman of the JAA, Mr. Earl Jarrett with rally participants

Page 6: JNF Newsletter July 2014

MEMBER ADVISORY COUNCIL !Post for ACT!ON: Hundreds identify community projects Some 416 community projects were posted by members conducting business at the 17 JN MoneyShop locations recently. !This was carried out through the JN Foundation’s Member Advisory Council’s Post-for Act!on initiative, which allowed JN members and community persons an opportunity to receive funding of up to $100,000. !Participants were required to identify community projects that they deemed in need of funding by writing on a Post-for-Act!on card and then subsequently posting it on the JN Foundation Wall of Act!on . !Based on the submissions, the respective MoneyShop staff members chose projects they believed were most impactful on the communities they served. With many highly deserving projects, the task of choosing just one project became quite difficult for many of the MoneyShops. This resulted in creative tactics being employed to “stretch the money” to ensure that several projects were funded. !A number of MoneyShops were able to fund between three and four projects, with the White House Money Shop funding five projects, the highest among all MoneyShops! !The Education sector benefitted the most, with several schools receiving items such as water tanks, whiteboards, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, microwave, a public address system and upgraded children’s play area. Community groups, such as youth clubs, churches, the health services and the Constabulary Force also benefitted. !Members were excited at being given a chance to walk in and post their community project. “This is very good as it gives us, the savers a chance to get something for our community,” said Gloria Valentine of Oracabessa, as she sought funding for her Community Development Council to embark on a project at a Children’s Home. “JN is my bank and I love how they are helping the community,” she added whilst two other persons, in close proximity, expressed their agreement. !The staff members were equally excited and delighted that they were in a position to give back to the community. !“We particularly want to help our school savers institutions as we find that is where a strong loyalty base for the JNBS brand germinates,” Rose Campbell-Maturah, supervisor for the Gayle /Highgate MoneyShops, stated.

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FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

Page 7: JNF Newsletter July 2014

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FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

LET’S TALK: SEBI does Corporate mingle !Guided by the theme ‘Businesses Empowering Change’, SEBI collaborated with Wealth Magazine to host their monthly Corporate Mingle. The event gave the SEBI team an opportunity to announce the project’s goals and raise the discussion about the role that individuals and corporations can play in the success of the sector. It also presented participating social enterprise pioneers a chance to share the story of their causes and their businesses. !Corporate Mingle is a monthly held event that attracts business professionals who work in Kingston. !Up next is SEBI’s Business Mixer on July 24 in Montego Bay.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE BOOST INITIATIVE THIRD SECTOR TALKS !Raising the profile of the social enterprise business model is pivotal to the success of the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) project, especially as many persons in the local sphere are still unfamiliar with the concept. !With this in mind, SEBI hosted two key events in the last quarter. These were the Let’s Talk discussion forum and the Corporate Mingle, held in partnership with Wealth Magazine, at the Spanish Court Hotel. !On April 30, 2014, SEBI kicked off its discussion forum series with the “Let’s Talk: Social Economy Matters” discussion forum. The event’s key objective was to highlight the relevance of the third sector and its contributions to the social economy. !The third sector is the title given to the collection of industries that have arisen in order to support critical areas that remain underserved despite the work of the private and public sectors. !The forum featured a panel of experts in the field of social entrepreneurship, community development and wider social services. The list of presenters included: Dr. K’adamawe K’nife, UWI Mona School of Business; Yulit Gordon, Executive Director of the Jamaica Cancer Society, and Richard Lambie, Project Executive with the Agency for Inner City Renewal in Trench Town. !Dr K’nife’s presentation highlighted the misconceptions about the sector. “It’s a new landscape,” he said, “we need to change our thinking...it is not a ‘begging sector’. It should be seen as a wealth creation sector.” !He underscored the fact that NGOs, for example, through their projects, provide direct and indirect employment. He added that each individual donation, each hour invested by volunteers and each source of funding provided by an international donor agency carries a significant dollar value that should be recognized by the formal economy.

Superior Crafts & More endorse the SEBI programme alongside Claudette Anglin, USAID, and Saffrey Brown and Jennifer Sharrier of JN Foundation

Page 8: JNF Newsletter July 2014

ALPHA BOYS SCHOOL !FROM SAXOPHONES TO SYNTHESISERS !The musical legacy of the Alpha Boys Schools spans a time almost as long as that of the establishment. While the beauty of the music emanating from its walls and the quality of its graduates have not waned; the face and the mechanics of the music industry have changed tremendously. !However, the latest grant from the JN Foundation will better prepare its budding musicians to work in today’s industry. Through this tranche of funding, the Foundation has pledged $2.1 million dollars towards the transformation of the music room. !Once completed, it will comprise of a music room, a state-of-the-art recording studio and the school’s first radio station, exposing the students to music production and recording. !Sister Marie Chin, Area Administrator for Sisters of Mercy, pointed out, “this addition is opening up doors of opportunities for them as they will be exposed to a more liberal field of music. This will help to show the boys that there is indeed a bright future for them, as they participate in the different areas of music.” !Past student and Band Master, Winston “Sparrow” Martin, also expressed great optimism for the musical development of the boys. “They are being prepared for a brighter future”, he declared. !More than 200 students attend the Alpha Boys School annually. The school is currently restructuring its operations so that it is able to manage an even larger cohort of students. !!DRP WRITERS RETREAT !A CHANCE RETREAT TO A WEEKEND OF ART AND INSPIRATION !The promotion and retention of culture and tradition is another area of significance to the JN Foundation. And although not as widely practiced as some of its written word counterparts, the art of

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Winston “Sparrow” Martin, Alpha Boys’ Band Master and past student of the Alpha Boys’ School presents Saffrey Brown, General Manager of the Jamaica National Foundation with a tote bag, manufactured and designed by students at the institution. Also in photo are Chevon Harriott, Jordan Beckford, Christopher Wright (partially hidden) and Daniel Richards, members of the Alpha Boys band.

GRANTEES

Page 9: JNF Newsletter July 2014

poetry remains an important part of Jamaica’s cultural fabric. With this in mind, The Living Room Project was awarded a JN Foundation grant to host the DRP Writer’s Retreat. !The three-day retreat invited poets from the area and further afield to unplug from their daily lives and to be recharged by a weekend of poetry writing activities and seminars.The event, led by world renowned, St. Elizabeth born writer Christine Craig, featured discussions on the craft of poetry, editing poems and writing. It also provided an opportunity for an in depth look at manuscript publication. !With a mandate to draw inspiration from the community as well as to provide inspiration for it, the public was invited to poetry reading and open microphone sessions. Not only was it an avenue to showcase the participants’ old and new work but local talents, including students from the St. Mary High School, joined in the experience. !The Jamaica Hardanga Heritage Trust, Highgate Agricultural Producers Enterprise (H.A.P.E.) and local craftsmen and community members also took advantage of the opportunity to conduct demonstrations on bammy and chocolate making. !The retreat, which lasted from May 23 to May 25, 2014, was held at the eco-friendly “Country Thyme” cottages in Highgate, St. Mary. It afforded poets an opportunity to escape to the lush hills of Highgate and to be invigorated; truly a representation of an art inspired life. !STELLA MARIS FOUNDATION !GRANT TO STELLA MARIS FOUNDATION HELPS IT MAINTAIN ITS INNOVATIVE EDGE !The cohort of fifty plus community residents that are currently being trained in Information Technology at the Stella Maris Foundation and the many that are to follow will significantly benefit from the JN Foundation’s most recent gift of a multifunctional printer, projector, computer and headsets for the newly added Call Center Operations Training programme. This contribution is valued at $330,000. The Hon. Beverley Lopez, Chairman of Stella Maris Foundation was on hand to receive the equipment. !The seven year old Grants Pen based Foundation exists to transform the lives of residents in the once thought to be volatile community and its environs. Through its partnership with the Heart Trust NTA, its IT programme is recognized by the National Council on Technical Vocational Education & Training (NCTVET) and clients can now receive training up to Level 2 by completing the nationally recognized Call/Contact Centre Operations syllabus. Thus participants are further being offered an opportunity to develop skills that are relevant to the local industry needs. Since the start of this programme more than 500 residents have graduated with marketable skill sets. !This is the second grant to the establishment to boost its innovate Information Technology Training Centre. Such support ensures that there is greater access to skill training and employment readiness, a reduction in the number of unattached and at-risk youth in the area and greater access to economic activities for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups through the work of the Stella Maris Foundation. !!

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GRANTEES

Page 10: JNF Newsletter July 2014

 

YMCA KINGSTON !Kingston’s YMCA is splashing good! !!The Kingston YMCA is indebted to the Jamaica National Foundation for its tremendous contribution to the development of its programme through swimming. Indeed, many more youngsters and adults will be exposed to the world of swimming in its new renovated and upgraded swimming pools and changing facilities

Sarah Martin-Newland, Administrator and General Secretary of the YMCA, Kingston. !

After a long three month wait for the completion of renovations; the more than 800 registered participants of the YMCA’s aquatic programme could not be happier. Since the re-opening, the programme’s scope has been broadened and one hundred and thirty-one at risk youth have developed basic swimming and socialization skills under the tutelage of the establishment’s coaches. Some have

advanced beyond this and have undergone classes in lifeguard training and pool maintenance. !Prior to the JN Foundation’s pledge of $4.6 million dollars, the YMCA swimming facilities were under threat of closure. The two pools and decks were in a terrible state of disrepair to the extent that they were to be shut down by the local health authorities. To further compound the matter, the funds to conduct the required renovations did not seem to be forthcoming. !JN Foundation stepped in and pledged funds to the tune of approximately 70% of the cost of repairs. Corporate contributors: Burger King, the Sports Development Foundation and LIME provided the remaining 30% of funds required. !The official re-opening and dedication ceremony for the upgraded facilities was held on May 14th and was attended by Member of Parliament for the area Julian Robinson, staff and board members of the YMCA, JN Foundation representatives, donor representatives and student swimmers. JN Foundation Board Director, Mr. Parris Lyew-Ayee was the guest speaker at the event. !The YMCA’s facility is currently the official pool for at least 32 schools around Kingston and St. Andrew. !!

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Director of JN Foundation, Mr. Parris Lyew-Ayee.

Since the re-opening of the swimming facilities the YMCA has welcomed

• 800 registered users • 23 schools • 131 at-risk youth

GRANTEES

Page 11: JNF Newsletter July 2014

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Check out the Y’s newly refurbished pools

Check us out at: ! twitter.com/JNFoundation ! facebook.com/JNFoundation

!Download the JN Foundation App on the App Store and Google Play

32 1/2 Duke Street, Kingston CSO Tel: 926-1344, ext: 4749 Email: [email protected] !www.jnfoundation.com