$407,000 for Muirton Boys' Home

 A cheque valued at J$407,000 was presented to the Child Development Agency (CDA) on March 12, to assist with ongoing repair work at the Muirton Boys' Home in Portland.

The money, which was collected at this year's staging of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast (NLPB), was handed over by the prayer breakfast committee, in partnership with the Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS), at the society's head office along Half-Way Tree Road in St Andrew.

Expressing gratitude for the contribution, chief executive officer of the CDA, Carla Francis Edie, said the donation brings the agency closer to the $3 million target for repairing the infrastructural damage suffered during the passage of Hurricane Sandy in October last year.

"The French government has generously committed $1 million for these repairs and we are pleased to be receiving further funding to continue the work," she said.

Edie lauded the committee for once again selecting the agency as recipient of the proceeds from the breakfast. "This is not the first time the agency has benefited from your philanthropy, and I want you to know that we are thankful each time you give to our work and the children in our care," she said.

Chairman of the NLPB committee, Dr Peter Garth, said the facility was selected based on the needs assessment.

"The Muirton Boys' Home is doing a tremendous job, and when you look at the work being done there "we feel that it is only fair to hand over to the CDA the funds that we have collected," he said, adding that the church will continue to play its part in the development of the nation.

Richard Powell, president and CEO of VMBS, said his organisation is proud to be associated with the committee in providing financial assistance for the continued upliftment of persons in need.

The Muirton Boys' Home caters to boys between 11 and 18 years and currently houses 27 boys, some of whom are mentally and physically challenged. The home is partially self-sufficient, as it operates a farm.

The NLPB began 33 years ago with the purpose of fostering greater unity in the nation, particularly among the nation's leaders at all levels.

VMBS has been a title sponsor of the breakfast for the last 28 years.