Earth Today | A gift of trees

THREE KINGSTON-BASED children’s homes were, this past weekend, gifted with more than 30 fruit-bearing trees and ornamental plants, courtesy of the Rotaract Club of Kingston (RCOK).

The gift, which was given in observation of National Tree Planting Day on October 2, was received by Mustard Seed Communities’ St Anthony’s Home for Girls; St Matthew 25:40 Boys’ Home; and the Young Women’s Christian Academy.

The goal, according to the RCOK, was not only to beautify the grounds of the facilities, but also to provide wholesome fruits to the users of the facilities.

“Trees are therapeutic,” said Toni-Moy Stewart, community service director at the RCOK in a release to The Gleaner.

PANDEMIC CHALLENGES

“COVID-19 has created brand-new challenges for all of us, and it not only affects us in the free world, but it also affects our children and teens who benefit from these state-owned facilities. We hope these plants will lift their spirits and remind them of better days ahead,” she added.

RCOK president Wade Edwards-Green said he was particularly proud of the initiative, citing that environmental enhancement and sustainable development are priorities for the club.

“RCOK is determined to have an impact in and around our communities despite the current pandemic. Environmental enhancement and development will continue to be of importance to Rotaract,” he noted.

“Building on our pre-existing relationship with these institutions, teaching them about their own carbon footprint and the importance of sustainability, has made this project even more meaningful to us as Rotaractors,” he added.

Wade also expressed gratitude for the support of the Forestry Department.

The YWCA is an academic institution that trains and nurtures teenage girls while the Mustard Seed’s St Matthew’s Boys’ and St Anthony’s Girls homes provide refuge for young men living with HIV/AIDS and young mothers and pregnant teens who have been ostracised by their communities.