Jennifer Marcellus, BSN, RN, PCCN (second from right), her husband, and friends packed suitcases full of supplies for delivery.
Whether by donating their time, expertise, or resources, PPMC’s staff members leave an indelible mark on the local communities they work with — and some have even spread their outreach outside of the country!
For two years, Jennifer Marcellus, BSN, RN, PCCN, a clinical nurse on PAC 2 Holding/PACU, has supported the Cedella Marley Booker Basic School in the Nine Mile district of St. Ann, Jamaica, by donating new classroom supplies.
Marcellus was introduced to the school (named for the mother of Nine Mile’s most famous son, Bob Marley) through friends who head the Golden Sands Charitable Foundation. Nine Mile is a rural farming village located high in the mountains, and its remoteness has proven challenging for connecting families with basic resources. The foundation aims to create a self-sustaining community with improved access to renewable energy, reliable water collection, and basic medical, social, and educational services. To contribute to that mission, Marcellus and a group of friends have “adopted” the village school and replenish their stock of supplies during their annual trip.
Each year, Marcellus and her friends gather up piles upon piles of donations for the children attending the Cedella Marley Booker Basic School.
“There’s always a need for paper – reams and reams of paper. We’ve also donated books, games and activities, crayons, glue, chalk, and craft supplies. We were fortunate enough to visit the school, and the children were so excited and made a huge impact on us,” Marcellus said. “I’m glad we could play a small part in starting them off on the right foot. It’s easy to have this vision of Jamaica as just a vacation spot, but off the beach, there’s an entire rest of the country, and some areas are struggling. I think it’s important to help however you can to increase access to those vital resources.”