Back to school drive promises to increase assistance to the less fortunate in 2020

by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada

• Debra Patrick George caters to charity through Kids for Christ
• Over 2,000 children given school bags and shoes

As students return to their assigned classes today, there are some children who are not properly equipped due to their parents’ inability to afford the necessary school supplies and clothing for the school year.

One woman has made it her life’s mission to assist those children.

Through her charity initiative ‘Kids for Christ’ which is a back to school event, Debra Patrick George has catered for over 2,000 of the nation’s children, by offering school bags and shoes.

Scores of parents and their kids lined up at the Morne Rouge playing field on Wednesday, 28 August 2019 to receive free school bags and shoes.

This year she also distributed $300-voucher for parents to assist in the purchasing of school textbooks.

George says the initiative started following a visit to Grenada where she was troubled by the number of families who cannot afford to provide their children with basic supplies for school.

As a former student of the Anglican High School and having experienced first-hand what it is like to grow up as a child from Fontenoy, St George, and not being able to have all the back to school necessities. She reminisced on days growing up among 16 siblings and having to struggle to attend school.

“Growing up it was not easy for me so knowing where I came from and having the opportunity to bless these kids, the choice was very easy for me. I am originally from Fontenoy, but grew up in Tempe, St George. My mother had 16 children, she was a hard worker, she sold everything as a vendor at the Mother Rose, RC School but died two years ago, and growing up was really tough. I remember not to be able to have all of my textbooks so I always said if I could make it easier for these children, I’ll do whatever I can.”

Through her Group Family Day Care in Brooklyn NY, George can provide such assistance by utilising a month’s revenue to help the fund her back to school event. She decided that now that she is in a position to give back, one of the best ways to invest in a child’s education was to ensure that they are properly equipped.

“This is the first huge event, last year it was big and this year the lord just blessed me, so it is like an over pouring of blessing, what I do out of the daycare that I own, I save the whole months revenue and I sow it back into these children,” she said.

Next year she intends on increasing her level of contribution to the nation’s youth by tripling the amount of support.

“Next year I am going to pour back triple than what I have done this year. I will be going to all the parishes because we have noticed that due to the number of people coming for assistance it is hard to contain the crowd there. We believe that if we can stage this initiative in all the parishes I think it will be much easier.”

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