Students and staff of Robert Lightbourne High School in St. Thomas recently redefined the expression ‘giving from the heart’, making a selfless impact on approximately 150 lives through their ‘Purple Pride’ Outreach Programme.
What is even more impressive is that the number only represents this year, while the programme has been ongoing for the last 35 years.
For 2025, the school held a health fair on Tuesday (April 14) during which persons in neighbouring communities benefited from free health checks.
On Wednesday (April 16), the students and staff delivered care packages to needy individuals in the communities before visiting the St. Thomas Infirmary where they served hot meals to the residents.
Several of the items distributed were acquired with proceeds from a fundraising fish fry organised by the school
Teacher, Levena Edwards, has been helping to coordinate the programme for 28 years. She said the school aims to use the initiative to instil the values of sharing and caring for others in its students, while fostering their holistic development.
Mrs. Edwards highlighted that the programme benefits feeder communities that are the origin of most of the pupils. Among the 150 beneficiaries were 50 students receiving food items, toiletries and school uniform material.
Senior Teacher, Leon Ford, who also helps to coordinate the legacy outreach programme, highlighted the significance of the support extended to the youngsters.
“We know that most of the students who come to our school are not really from the type of family that might have it. So, what we do is that we try to see if we can reach those students so that they know that we do care and it’s not just about coming [to school] and learning,” he told JIS News.
Mr. Ford added that, “we want the parents and residents in these communities to know that Robert Lightbourne [High] is there for them as well; it’s not just for the students alone”.
Principal, Ricardo Morgan, describes the programme as “simply awesome”. Quoting late Roman Catholic Nun and celebrated humanitarian, Mother Teresa, Mr. Morgan said, “It’s not how much we give, but it’s how much love we put into giving”, adding “that is something that we strongly believe in.”
He is optimistic about the programme’s continuation and expresses the hope that others will be encouraged to partner with the school on the initiative or spearhead their own.
The Principal also expressed enthusiasm for the holistic development of his pupils, emphasising the importance of providing them with first-hand experiences in this way.
“In the wider society, there are people who will always be better off in some instances and those who will not be well off, and those are people we need to look out for,” Mr. Morgan said.
The programme is also widely supported by the business community and other stakeholders in St. Thomas.
Among the sponsors are Mayor of Morant Bay, Councillor Louis Chin; the Surrey Promotional Team; Sterling Bakery; Young Sang Bakery; Joong Supermarket; Classic Supermarket; Chong Sang Hardware and Wholesale; Butty’s; Fish Cove Restaurant, as well as churches and individuals, among others.