THE YOUNG Men’s Christian Association’s (YMCA) computer laboratory is now better equipped to accommodate computer equipment, as the cooling capacity of the building has been improved with the donation of two air-conditioning units by the Spanish Town chapter of JN Circle.
Anna Dallas, principal of the Spanish Town YMCA, was elated to receive the donation and said that the cooling equipment will also protect the computers in the laboratory.
“Before, we had to work in the heat, and during the summer months the temperatures are really very high and can be very uncomfortable. The units donated will help to preserve our systems, especially those that have outlived their time and will help to keep them a little longer,” she said at the handover of the units recently.
The air-conditioning units were procured by the JN Foundation, which through the JN Circle. The facility was recommended for funding by the JN Circle, Spanish Town chapter.
T’Anna Dallas, a member of the JN Circle, Spanish Town chapter, said the institution was selected for funding because of the need and the educational benefits that will accrue for students attending the YMCA.
“You were chosen as a recipient of this donation to facilitate the efficient running of your computer laboratory,” she said at the handover event. “I hope that you take care of the units that have been donated. It is a form of investment in you. You are our future and we are happy to be investing in you.”
The JN Circle comprises a network of JN members and customers of member companies within the JN Group, who bond together through community building, advocacy and networking.
Ariel Sinclair, business relationship and sales manager at JN Bank, Spanish Town branch, said that he felt privileged to be associated with the donation and highlighted that the JN Foundation, the charitable arm of The Jamaica National Group, always seeks out opportunities to improve the communities in which it operates.
“We not only serve the community, the community also serves us because we do operate a business. We have a lot of initiatives that come through our JN Foundation and we were happy to have gifted the YMCA with the units,” he noted.
The JN Foundation last year issued a call to JN Circle chapters to make submissions of proposals for community building projects, for which grant funding of up to $1.5 million was made available.
Dawnette PryceThompson, project coordinator at the JN Foundation, noted that the organisation was pleased to be investing in the young people of Spanish Town.
“A project of this nature will preserve the shelf life of the information technology equipment in the school’s computer laboratory, and will also provide a conducive environment for learning for our young boys,” she said.
Pryce Thompson added that the concept of the JN Circle enables members at the community level to partner with JN and other stakeholders to enrich lives and build communities.
“Residents of Spanish Town, and members of JN Bank Spanish Town, came together to lobby for the YMCA. It is a powerful partnership,” she said.