Petersfield’s track team chickens diverted to PATH students

WESTERN BUREAU:

With the 2020 ISSA Boys and Girls’ Championship derailed by COVID-19, Petersfield High School in Westmoreland has decided to provide food, including chickens that were being reared for the athletics team, to the more than 280 needy students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

Since March 26, care packages valued at approximately J$500,000 have been supplied to 244 of the school’s students, with an additional 40 receiving packages during the most recent distribution on Thursday, May 14. Aside from the chickens, which come from the school’s farm, the packages will also include rice, flour, and noodles from the canteen.

Principal Dr Tracy Brown-Coote told The Gleaner that the donations have been timely for students, many of whose parents lost jobs when hotels and resorts closed amid the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The reality is that we can’t tell the students to do their assignments if they are hungry, so we’re trying to provide that kind of support for them,” Brown-Coote said.

Kerry-Ann Barrett, Petersfield High’s senior guidance counsellor, said that after the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Champs was put on hold because of the pandemic, the idea was proposed for the chickens, which would be used in meals for the athletes, to be incorporated in food packages instead.

“We were rearing chickens for Champs because our school is very big in Champs. Since there is no Champs event now, the idea was proposed that we could kill the chickens and give them to some of the students on the PATH programme,” Barrett said.

Approximately 160 students received food packages during the first distribution effort in March. Afterwards, the past students’ association joined hands with the institution to provide more packages for students living in Little London, Grange Hill, Savanna-la-Mar, and satellite communities.

Brown-Coote said that the recipients, some of whom live as far as the neighbouring parish of Hanover, have expressed gratitude for the food packages.

“We’ve received calls from parents who are really appreciative of the effort. One parent was so grateful because she didn’t have to worry about doing something for dinner that night,” Brown-Coote recalled.