In the spring of 2002, the Kiwanis Club of Tyrone began an initiative to partner with other Pennsylvania Kiwanis Clubs to provide building additions, renovations, supplies, clothes and vitamins for orphans in Jamaica.
The Pennsylvania Kiwanis Clubs have been working with the orphanages in Jamaica for several years as an on-going project.
The Tyrone Kiwanis Club was able through volunteer efforts to raise over $700 for the project. The money was then applied to the purchase of enough daily vitamins for the orphans at Blossom Garden in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
2002 Tyrone Kiwanis President Chuck Banas was fortunate enough to deliver these vitamins in the summer of 2002.
“The Tyrone Club continues to remain active by supporting the state organization in funding of the on-going vitamin program,” added Banas. “The Tyrone Club will continue in the efforts to assist these orphans from Jamaica.”
According to Banas, while in Jamaica, the state group has painted the building at Blossom Garden, replaced walls and poured concrete, all with volunteer workers and time.
“Each member that travels to Jamaica to be involved in any of the projects pays for all of their own transportation and lodging expenses,” he said. “It truly becomes a working vacation.”
Each fall Roy Glick, state chairman of the project, notifies fellow Kiwanians to see who is interested in traveling to Jamaica for the working vacation. The first 15 members to respond get together and travel to Jamaica for the project.
In the 2003 trip to Jamaica, Glick, and his wife Lois traveled together to distribute the vitamins to the orphans. The Glicks first headquartered in Kingston and then in Montego Bay.
The vitamins had already been shipped to Jamaica and were in Kingston since last March. However, no action was taken by the Ministry of Health to deliver the vitamins.
According to the Glicks, when they arrived, they were able to deliver 504,000 children’s vitamins to 48 of 55 children’s homes across the island of Jamaica.
Because of the Pennsylvania Kiwanis Clubs’ efforts, 2,600 children received vitamins.
The reason the distribution of the vitamins is so important to the children is because they would receive them no other way. Vitamins are something that they cannot afford.
Those who assisted the Glick’s while in Jamaica included Herman Fennell of the Kingston Kiwanis Club and Mother Olive Fennell.
The Pennsylvania Kiwanis Clubs will continue in service to help raise funds for this year for the vitamin project, as well as to provide renovations, supplies and clothes to the orphans of Jamaica.
