JIS- The Swift Purscell Boys’ Home in Highgate, St. Mary has been the beneficiary of US$1,647.28 (J$100,000), part of proceeds collected at an ecumenical service held at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale in the United States on Sunday, August 7.
The service was held in recognition of Jamaica’s 43rd anniversary of independence.
Also benefiting from the proceeds is the Scholarship Fund for children whose fathers are killed in the line of duty as officers in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
Consul General in Miami, Ricardo Allicock visited the Swift Purscell Boy’s Home on August 16, where he presented the check to Superintendent of the home, Donald Stewart.
“Last year, Mr. Allicock donated over $300,000 to assist us in the recovery from the damages that were done to the home by hurricane Ivan and we have done a whole lot of repairs to our buildings. To date, the work that was done on the buildings has enabled us to make room for 25 more boys,” Mr. Stewart told JIS News.
He informed that the boys at the home have been benefiting “tremendously” from the donations made by Mr. Allicock, in that some of them are given the opportunity to gain access to tertiary level education.
Mr. Stewart noted that a student from the home, Josiah Wilson, had just finished his first year at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), and that he has been doing well in his course of studies.
Noting that the student has spent most of his growing years at the home, the Superintendent said that he came to Swift Purcell from age four and had done well in the schools he attended.
The student, who is 19 years old, told JIS News that he was pursuing a course in the field of Natural Science at CASE, at the end of which he hoped to gain an associate degree and in the future, his dream was to become a medical doctor.
“I am very grateful to Mr. Allicock for donating the first $60,000 towards my college education last year, and I am even more grateful to him for his continued support, as a part of the donation this year is to assist with my second year at CASE,” Josiah said.
“The boys here at Swift Purscell can be whatever they want to be in life. They can use me as a role model because I have been here from a tender age and I didn’t let anything hinder my dreams. I have been fighting the good fight from then and today I am attending college and I am still fighting, so they can fight their way through as well,” he added.
Superintendent Stewart told JIS News that expansion work was in progress at the home and should be completed by the end of October this year.
He commended the Consul General for the great work that he has been doing, and thanked him for the contribution he has made. He noted that the funds would be used to advance the welfare of the students.
