UPS delivers support to the Stella Maris Foundation
Published:Tuesday | October 31, 2017 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill
"If each one of us helped one person, it would make a difference," said Charnley Conway, UPS Americas Region's, vice-president of human resources and labour relations. Conway, while addressing the presentation ceremony of a US$25,000 grant from the UPS Foundation to the Stella Maris Foundation recently, said that although there was more work to be done, if everyone became a volunteer the results would be tremendous.
"The money that we are giving is the easy part. We did a walk-through in the community (of Grants Pen, St Andrew) and we saw the impact of the work that Stella Maris Foundation is doing. If you actually see what they are doing, then you would understand that we are doing the right thing in assisting them and that there is more work to be done," Conway said.
The grant will be used to help youth from underserved communities acquire skills that will make them employable as well as enhance their entrepreneurial capabilities. The donation from the UPS Foundation will be used to purchase furnishing, equipment, learning tools, and materials for infants and toddlers of the Norma Chang Day Care Centre in the community.
With the additional resources, the centre will be transformed into an early-childhood development institution. According to chair of the Stella Maris Foundation, Beverly Lopez, student-parents will be able to leave their children in professional care while they attend classes.
"We are thankful to the UPS Foundation for partnering with us to make a difference for our youth. This grant will go a long way in helping us to improve the quality of life of the residents of Grants Pen," Lopez said.
The Stella Maris Foundation, incorporated in 1997 is a non-profit organisation that facilitates skills training and vocational programmes, manage funds and coordination of community events. It is located in the Grants Pen community, which was once labelled as one of Jamaica's most volatile areas. However, the foundation is committed to the promotion of goodwill and sustainable social and economic development of the area.
"The UPS Foundation is honoured to support the Stella Maris Foundation's efforts to upgrade the Norma Chang Day Care Centre. Our goal is to fund powerful programmes that make a lasting difference to the global community," said Eduardo Martinez, president of the UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS.
For more information on the UPS Foundation, visit US.com/foundation.