Our very own Kerri Reynolds, Supervisor of the Environmental Education Center (EEC), went on an extraordinary mission to Jamaica during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

 

Kerri’s husband is from Jamaica and they have been saving and buying items for this trip, something that has been in her heart for a long time. After some research, they were able to identify 2 places in the mountains of Jamaica that were in serious need of resources and coordinated a visit. Kerri and her husband packed and were on their way during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

 

 

They visited a nursery in Kingston, a place that attends around 12 kids up to 7 years old, with 2 full-time staff members to work with the kids, including babies with mobility problems and cerebral conditions. The nursery went through a fire recently and needed a lot of things.

 

They also visited a children’s home managed by the state for kids from 18 months old to 20 years old. There is a total of 63 kids in the home with 5 women taking care of the kids. It is also assisted by a church here in Florida, but the funds are really low to be able to provide for all the kids.

 

 

Kerri and her husband were able to bring 80 lbs of items, including clothes, shoes, toothbrush/paste, underwear, towels, soap, wipes, and many other essentials to support the efforts of the locations. 

 

We encourage compassion as one of our main values and to be an extension of our values to the community. We are thankful for people like Kerri and her family who take the time to give and an effort to make a difference. They are planning many more trips with their kids to continue supporting the kids in Jamaica.