Group Has High Hopes for High House Basic School
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Eight 4 World Hope representatives(kneeling) Kevin and Jacqueline Carges, (l-r) Greg Emerton, Catherine Metzger, Terry Leathersich, Laurie D’Amico and Karen Donoghue traveled to Jamaica for the dedication and inauguration of the High House Basic School. | |
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COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 5, 2013) –What a difference a new school is making in the lives of young students, their teachers and the community of McCook’s Pen, St. Catherine, Jamaica. For years, 3- to 6-year-old students, who attended High House Basic School, had to do so in a wood frame building riddled with gaps and holes, and with plastic tarps as window coverings.
But all that has changed with the completion of the new High House Basic School, thanks to funding by Eight 4 World Hope and Food For The Poor. The new High House Basic School has three classrooms, a sickbay, kitchen, dining area, computer lab, flush toilets and an office for the teachers. The new school also can now accommodate up to 60 students. Seven members representing the Rochester, N.Y. based-organization Eight 4 World Hope were in Jamaica for the dedication and inauguration of the new school building in February.
“I am thankful that God has put it into our hearts to help, and I am thankful that God has given me the opportunity to help,” said Deacon Kevin Carges, Eight 4 World Hope Founder. “I am so humbled, and I can’t quite find the words to say how I feel after seeing so many prayers fulfilled with the building of this school.”
High House is the third school project completed by Eight 4 World Hope:
- In its first project, the group raised funds to rebuild the Concord Sacred Heart Early Childhood Institution.
- The second project was the completion of separate and private restrooms for boys and girls. The dangerous pit latrine at Bensonton Primary School was replaced with seven flush toilets, urinals and four sinks.
During the group’s visit to Jamaica, they got to see these earlier projects, which were completed last year in the mountain communities of Concord and Bensonton in St. Ann. But, more importantly, they had the opportunity to see the joy and gratitude on the children’s faces.
“The loving support from donors like those from Eight 4 World Hope is helping us to provide safe and secure places for young children to get an education,” said Angel Aloma, Executive Director of Food For The Poor. “We have committed to build or upgrade 50 basic schools within 50 months in celebration of Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary of Independence. These schools will be a lasting legacy for generations to come, thanks to our donors.”
Deacon Kevin Carges traveled on his first mission trip to Jamaica with Food For The Poor in 2006. Moved by what he saw, in 2009 he founded the charity Eight 4 World Hope at St. John Fisher College, in Rochester, N.Y., with the help of six members from the college’s Class of 1984.
“I am honored to have had the chance to go on this mission trip with Kevin and others. It gave me such a different perspective and has made me understand why Kevin has been so passionate,” said Laurie D’Amico, wife of one of the founding members, Tom D’Amico. “People have asked me before, ‘why Jamaica?’ Well, I hope no one stops contributing to organizations in our country where they are most passionate. However, I hope they have it in their hearts to reach out to societies in the developing world as well.”
Eight 4 World Hope would like to provide additional classroom space for an overcrowded school and provide proper sanitation for another, and will be hosting a fundraiser for their latest construction projects in Jamaica. The wine and cheese reception will be Friday, March 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Skalny Welcome Center at St. John Fisher College, 360 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y.
For more information on the Wine & Cheese Reception or to order your tickets online, please visit www.eight4thirdworldhope.org.
Food For The Poor, named by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as the largest international relief and development organizationin the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.
Wanda Wright
Food For The Poor
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6079
[email protected]