NEET gives back for Christmas

Christmas is often described as the time of sharing with family and friends and giving back. It is a time to help the less fortunate among us, and many organisations use the season as an opportunity to lend a helping hand to groups that need that extra assistance to get by.

Negril Education Environment Trust (NEET) in Westmoreland visited the boys of the Clifton Boys' Home last month. The students and parents from NEET, as well as the members of the Negril Police Youth Club, went to the boys' temporary home at the Caledonia Assemblies of Holiness dormitories and supplied them with food, clothing, toys, and basic amenities such as toiletries, and two cakes.

Zanu Gordon, office manager at NEET, recounted the day spent with the boys. "We kicked off our time with them by introducing ourselves and having devotion, which was led by Mrs Reynolds, one of our NEET leadership tablet coordinators, who also teaches at the Revival All-Age School. We also prayed with them," he stated. The rest of the proceedings included a briefing of what NEET is and what they hope to achieve in Negril. "Mrs McDonald, who is in charge at the home, updated us on the boys and the progress of the groundbreaking for the new building for the boys' home," Gordon told The Gleaner.

The boys were left without a home when one evening the home was destroyed by fire, destroying the belongings of the wards. The afternoon of January 15, 2017, will never be forgotten by the 28 boys who were affected.

"We were allowed the opportunity to spend an hour in getting to know the boys before leaving [to go] back to Negril for the day," Gordon finished.

NEET is a non-profit organisation that shows education as the alternative to crime and violence. They understand the needs people face and have tried to assist in any way possible. One way is by offering programmes that inspire children and parents alike to be better than the circumstances they find themselves in, resulting in a more competitive, well-trained and fruitful workforce. The 15-year-old organisation comprises over 500 volunteers and has sponsors both locally and internationally.

Visit NEET today at www.neetja.com or call their office at 876-957-3683 to become a sponsor or a volunteer and help to them reach and impact the lives of children.

V.J.