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UniCycle hits target - Uniform recycling initiative meets goal to collect and distribute 1,000 khaki uniforms

Published:Saturday | November 14, 2020 | 12:07 AM
Maria Greenland (centre), community outreach and media coordinator, UniCycle hands over donations to Latoya Harris, director, donor and partnership, National Education Trust. Partners Shakeen Brown (left), branding and public relations coordinator, Fontana
Contributed
Maria Greenland (centre), community outreach and media coordinator, UniCycle hands over donations to Latoya Harris, director, donor and partnership, National Education Trust. Partners Shakeen Brown (left), branding and public relations coordinator, Fontana Pharmacy and Colonel Martin Rickman, coordinator of the national coordinator, Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme were also on hand for the donation.

With some 300 uniforms collected in 2020, UniCycle Jamaica has hit its goal of collecting and distributing 1,000 gently worn khaki uniforms to students in need across the island.

Unicycle Community Outreach Director Maria Greenland recently turned the uniforms over to the National Education Trust (NET) for distribution.

The teen-led drive, started by Jordan Nakash and Rhys Greenland, set the goal in 2018. In the first two years, they made more than 700 donations.

Now, three years later, they are grateful for the ability to help families navigate the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are especially thankful for the support they received from donors and their school, Campion College. They are also grateful for the support from partners such as Fontana Pharmacy; the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme; LP Azar; Joseph’s; Ralaica; Food For The Poor Jamaica; and the Digicel Foundation.

VALUE OF DONATIONS

“To know we were able to spread the idea of recycling clothing, save families money and also hand over close to 1,000 masks, 300 uniforms, boxes of school supplies and data cards – which all together value at somewhere between $600,000 and $700,000 – is just amazing,” said Greenland, the programme manager.

Latoya Harris, director of donor and partnership management at the NET, expressed gratitude to the teens for finding a solution to a problem faced by many families.

“It is commendable to see young people take the lead in our country, and more so, for them to find tangible solutions to positively impact the lives of those less fortunate. The donation of uniforms and masks is useful and timely as we prepare to resume [face-to-face] school. Therefore, I want to thank UniCycle and especially the [HOPE Programme] for making the masks, and all the partners for their support,” said Harris.

It is a sentiment shared by Colonel Martin Rickman, the national coordinator of the HOPE Programme which made the masks donated by UniCycle.

“It’s great to see young people helping each other,” said Rickman.

To learn more or contact UniCycle Jamaica, visit @unicyclejamaica on Instagram or email unicyclejamaica@gmail.com. Have a good story you’d like to share? Email us at goodheart@gleanerjm.com.