JMMB & Charities Shares Love with Vulnerable Individuals at Christmas
The quote, “Touch one, touch a thousand”, aptly describes the philosophy behind JMMB’s Share the Love initiative that this year saw the company along with its philanthropic arm, JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation joining forces with three charities to touch the lives of over 1000 vulnerable individuals. Through the partnership with Kiwanis Club of Liguanea, #ChristmasInRiverton toy drive and Future Hope charity senior citizens from the Liguanea communities; children in Riverton City and neighbouring communities as well as homeless individuals in the corporate area received some much needed Christmas cheer, in the form of care packages, toys, meals and hygiene packages.
Alexisse Chin-Tufail, co-founder of #ChristmasInRivertonCity toy drive, in welcoming JMMB team back as a partner for a second time, said, “We are happy for this partnership with JMMB and our other corporate and individual donors that have helped to not just sustain this effort, for seven years, but allowed us to extend the love and Christmas cheer to more children, growing from 200 children, to this year catering to more than 800 children. The support is indeed heartening as companies and individuals have not allowed the challenges of COVID-19, to steal the true meaning and spirit of Christmas. She added, “With this support we are further encouraged and look forward to touching the lives of even more children more next year.”
Group chief marketing officer at JMMB, Kerry-Ann Stimpson, outlined, “In recognizing the challenges that many individuals have faced during this year, especially the elderly and children, we wanted to ensure that we lent our support to organizations like these, to bolster their efforts and ensure that the often overlooked members of our society receive some good cheer.” The CMO added, “Through partnerships like these we can accomplish so much more and touch more lives. This initiative goes beyond just offering tangible tokens, we are also sharing hope and spreading joy to each person, and not allowing the challenges of the year to dampen our Christmas spirit.”
Pay it Forward
In addition to joining forces with these charities, the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation led a #CanYouPIF social media campaign to encourage a ripple effect of kindness and love across communities and the country, at this time and even beyond the Christmas season. In leading by example the Foundation donated funds towards the Future Hope charity. As part of the campaign, individuals were challenged to tag the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation with the #CanYouPIF, for each act of kindness done, thereafter the Foundation would donate J$1000 up to a maximum of J$200,000, over the 2-week period.
Samantha Brandt, co-organizer of Future Hope, in commending the JMMB team and other corporate entities such as National Bakery, for being on board this year, notes, “We welcome the effort as we are able to give even more to the homeless and indigent during our annual Christmas treat, which has grown from feeding 50-60 persons, to now providing meals and hygiene packages to 150 persons. In explaining more about the charity Brandt shared, the initiative was birth out of desire by the late sister (Simone) of co-organizer Andre Garel, to provide Christmas meals to a few homeless persons in need, and at her passing, he decided to honour her memory by keeping the initiative alive and paying love forward.
Previously, JMMB also joined forces with other charities, namely: the Feeding of the 5000, and Gift of Love Ja and Feed My Sheep Outreach Ministries during the Christmas season, to spread cheer and give of themselves to inner city residents and homeless individuals in the Corporate Area. This initiative is in keeping with JMMB Group’s corporate social responsibility guiding principles that calls for the company to actively take a stand for the greatness in everyone.