St Jude Hospital (SJH) donated over 100 backpacks and supplies to school children in communities across the south of the island at the start of the new academic year.

SJH, the main healthcare provider in the south of Saint Lucia, partnered with community groups and school officials to identify students most in need. The backpacks were originally presented to St Jude by the Toronto-based Caribbean North Charities Foundation. They each contain a pencil case with pens and pencils, a file folder, geometry set, ruler and a packet of 150 file sheets.

“As an institution that benefits so greatly from the kindness of donors and volunteers, St Jude Hospital is in a unique position to understand the importance of giving to those in need,” said Public Relations and Liaison Officer, Shervon Alfred.

“While the hospital may be limited in its resources, we always work with donor partners like Caribbean North Charities Foundation, to find ways to assist the communities that we serve.”

St Jude has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Caribbean North Charities Foundation. The organization recently made a large number of backpacks available to the institution to distribute to children in Saint Lucia. In this regard, St Jude partnered with the Roman Catholic community group, St Vincent de Paul, on Aug. 29 to identify and present 50 backpacks to students from the Mon Repos community.

On Aug. 31, the hospital presented over 70 backpacks to children from the community of Bruceville, Vieux Fort. That donation was facilitated through a partnership with the Roving Caregivers Program from the Saint Lucia Social Development Program who assisted in identifying the recipients and organizing the handover. And on the first day of the new academic year, 50 backpacks were presented to students of the Reunion Primary School in Choiseul. During a short handover ceremony, Principal Anthia Lafeuillee expressed her gratitude to St Jude and Caribbean North Charities Foundation for the donation and remarked that for them the school year had started on a positive note.

St Jude Hospital presented 75 backpacks to students from the Piaye Secondary School and the Piaye Combined School on Sep. 8. The Vice Principal of Piaye Secondary, Irene Emmanuel was equally grateful for the kind gesture.

“We are sometimes forgotten in this little part of Saint Lucia, but today we can say that we are extremely elated for having received this gift,” she said.

In keeping with the adage, charity begins at home, 95 backpacks were also presented to the children of St Jude Hospital line staff during a short handover ceremony on Aug. 7.

St Jude Hospital expresses its profound gratitude to Caribbean North Charities Foundation for making this donation available to the hospital which can in turn supports the needs of the communities. St Jude is confident that the donations will make a meaningful contribution toward the students’ educational goals.