Unexpected joy! - Families welcome Ignite IGL Foundation care packages

AS THE residents eagerly filed on to the compound at the Riverton Meadows Early Childhood Centre, the overcast skies contradicted the buzz of excitement and the lively chatter on the ground. Representatives from the Jamaica Red Cross and the Ignite IGL Foundation were busy preparing to combat the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the elderly, those living with disabilities, and low-income earners, by delivering grocery packages with essential staples.

With masks on, observing the social-distancing protocols, the team seamlessly replicated a task they had been executing for several days across the island, moving house to house to ensure resources got to those who were shut in. By the end of the donations, the volunteers would have delivered packages to 450 families, valued at over $600,000 to nine parishes – Kingston & St Andrew, St Catherine, Portland, Westmoreland, St James, St Elizabeth, St Mary and St Ann – and 11 communities in which IGL operates.

In Riverton Meadows, each resident stepped up to collect a package, nodding in approval and heaping praises on the team led by Peter Graham, managing director, IGL, and Junior Rowe, principal of Riverton Meadows Early Childhood Centre.

Rowe, who has been living and working in the Riverton Meadows community for over 40 years, expressed gratitude that the Ignite IGL Foundation had included the residents in their COVID-19 outreach. “The IGL donation came in the nick of time and has touched the lives of those who needed it most. It’s been challenging for residents to pivot during the pandemic, but they continue to show how resilient they are in the face of adversity. With these grocery items, we know for sure they have food on their tables for a few more days,” he said.

Graham noted that the community outreach is the second phase of COVID-19 strategy response being implemented by IGL. Several weeks earlier, the company had rolled out its first phase internally by encouraging and supporting staff members who can work remotely; by providing job security to all staff members; providing PPE – including ordering and delivering 1,000 masks throughout their dealer network; and by updating and educating staff on suitable COVID-19 practices.

He pointed out that the IGL brand is an integral part of Jamaican life, and whether it is fuel for cooking, locally produced oxygen that is used in the delivery of medical care, or carbon dioxide used in the production of beverages, IGL’s customers span the length and breadth of the country and the company celebrates their successes, and shares in their challenges when they do arise.