Paul Stanley once said, “When you are in a position to have gotten so much, the gift at this point is to give back.” These sentiments are certainly shared by Sandals South Coast Butler, Joyawardena Griffiths, affectionately known as Joy. A stalwart Sandals Foundation Ambassador, Joy has been part of the Sandals family for over a decade. During this time she has given both her service to the operations as well as her time to effecting change in the region. Many activities planned on behalf of the foundation at a resort level will see her present, smiling and going above and beyond to engage with the community.
It is with this same spirit that Joy reached out to the Sandals foundation requesting a donation of school supplies for Windsor Basic School, in Siloah, St. Elizabeth. This institution holds a special place in her heart as this is the school at which she started her educational journey. “I feel so blessed that I am able to honor this space that has given so much to me growing up. The teachers were so resourceful with the little they had to ensure that maximum learning took place,” says Joy. She further noted that she’s happy to be part of a company that allows her to exercise her philanthropic muscle by providing much-needed school supplies. “The children are so excited and the staff grateful that they will be able to employ creative ways to engage learning.”
Principal of the Windsor Basic School, Mrs. Christene Dennis also expressed thanks to the Sandals Foundation for their donation, “We try our best to make charts and other things to complement our lessons as well as share resources between the classes, because we know some parents aren’t able to afford the supplies needed. So receiving these supplies will really help us to do so many more activities because there are more resources,” said Mrs. Dennis.
Since its launch in 2009, the Sandals Foundation has touched the lives of over 1.1 million people across the region through health, education and community initiatives like this one. They’ve partnered with the United States-based Sickkids Caribbean Initiative to advance pediatric cancer research and care; collaborated with Great Shape! Inc, volunteer group to host free dental, eye, and wider health clinics as well as provided infrastructural support to various hospitals and health care centers in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, and Barbados.
