Register now to become a member of the Pack for a Purpose community! Get Started »
×
    Accommodation

    The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

    Pack for a Purpose does not condone visiting orphanages, as this can often lead to negative impacts on children. The accommodation or tour company working with the orphanage will deliver the supplies in a coordinated and respectful way so that the children can benefit from them. Your generosity is not diminished because you do not interact with the children.

    Project #1

    The Alpha Boy’s School/Home is the Courtleigh Hotel & Suites’ charity partner. Children are assigned to the home by the Child Development Agency when it is determined that they need the services of the family court system.

    Founded in 1880, the Alpha Boy’s School/Home has been administered since 1890 by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, a catholic order of nuns. The Alpha Boy’s School/Home currently has 100 children from ages 8 through 18 years old.

    It offers vocational training in agriculture, music, tailoring, wood working, and screen printing. Of the vocations taught at the home, music has been the most prolific.

    Project #2

    Missionaries of the Poor was started in 1981 in Jamaica. Led by Father Richard Ho Lung and a group of Brothers, they began their work in a government-run house for the homeless, the destitute, and the aged. They were successful in opening the consciousness of the public to the needs and struggles of the poor.

    They continued their outreach by also working with
    prisoners, helping bring to light the need for the rehabilitation of prisoners instead of the mere isolation of them.

    The community thus began with two successful projects in its early years.

    Project #3

    The Open Arms Drop-In Center is a non-governmental organization that seeks to play an integral role in the eradication of homelessness. To accomplish this, the center cares for the homeless in a loving atmosphere.

    Established in November 2006, they operate a day center for both male and female homeless adults. While the center has some basic facilities to house a few individuals at a time, they also additionally take in a lot of people off of the street on a daily basis.

    These homeless individuals are fed, offered a bath and haircut, and are taught basic farming, hair dressing, and office skills.

    Project #4

    The Marie Atkins Shelter in downtown Kingston is run by the Poor Relief Department. It provides solace for over 100 men and women each night.

    The Poor Relief Department states that at least half of the hundreds who roam Kingston’s streets in the day and sleep wherever they can in the night are mentally stable. While most just cannot afford to pay their rent, some are drug addicts and/or deportees. Others are victims of natural disasters, such as fires or hurricanes, that prevent them from returning to their homes.

    Project #5

    Food For the Poor (FFP): Jamaica is the largest charity organization in Jamaica. Food For the Poor, Inc., located in Florida, U.S.A., is the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. It is an interdenominational organization that assists the poor in 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.

    FFP partners with a number of stakeholders, including: churches, non-governmental and private sector organizations, children’s homes, and service organizations throughout the island that deal directly with the poor to fill their most urgent needs and to encourage self-sufficiency.

    Our goal is to improve the health, economic, social, and spiritual conditions of the men, women, and children we serve through emergency relief aid and ministries by providing them with housing, food, medical care, water, sanitation, education, agriculture, outreach, and micro-enterprise.

    Initiatives Supported

    All the needs are current as of March 20, 2024
    Note: Location is approximated. If you see a lodging that is misplaced or missing, please contact us .
    The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites

    Listed on this page are the specific needs requested by the community project(s) so you can choose exactly what to pack for a purpose and express your gratitude to the local community with the supplies you take them. If you prefer, you may reach out directly to them to inquire about items which may be available for purchase locally. Arranging visits to community projects is beyond the scope of our mission. If you wish to visit a project, contact the participant and they can let you know what is possible.

    Candy and balloons are not on the needs list as they are harmful for the children and the environment for the following reasons:
    • Few of the children benefiting from these projects have access to toothpaste, toothbrushes, or a dentist. The candy promotes cavities.
    • The balloons once they become deflated are a choking hazard for local wildlife.

    Instead of taking candy or balloons, use that space for additional requested supplies, as they are priceless.