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What is Integrity Children's Fund Integrity Children's Fund (ICF), recognized by the IRS as a Tax Exempt 501 ( c) 3 Charitable Organization, was born out of a sincere desire to better meet the educational needs of children in Jamaica, disadvantaged by economic hardship and made hopeless and/or hapless by limited opportunities for self-development. |
What's the history of Integrity Children's Fund? In the fall of 1999, Major Richard Cooke and Mr. Richard Delisser, made presentations to a group of Jamaicans living in Atlanta on the work being done by Operation Restoration and Covenant Community Church to provide a Christian based education to children in the Trench Town (Joy Town) community in Jamaica. Operation Restoration, started by Lorna Stanley, operated a school for remedial learning and Covenant Community Church operated a basic school. Evidence of the remarkable changes in the lives of children brought about by a Christian education, was clearly visible in the work of these two schools. In December 2000, Major Cooke re-visited Atlanta and made another presentation, focusing on the needs, particularly financial, to support the school operated by Covenant Community Church in Joy Town. Arising from these presentations, a core group of Jamaicans living in Atlanta, namely Marcia Sutherland, Wayde and Arlene Marr, Dr. Chris and Jewel Parker, and Karl (President) and Marcia Chambers, committed themselves to provide financial support for the Joy Town schools. This commitment gave birth to the idea and vision of Integrity Children's Fund, which was incorporated in the State of Georgia, in October 2001. Having completed the administrative and organizational work to establish ICF, the organization was launched on June 9, 2002 in Atlanta, Ga. |
What is the strategy for achieving the long-term objectives of Integrity Children's Fund? Integrity Children's Fund will grow its operation in phases. Following its launch in June 2002, a two-year pilot phase commenced, where two schools in Trench Town began to receive financial support. The two schools include Operation Restoration Christian and Covenant Community Church Basic Schools. These schools, co-located on Collie Smith Drive, provide education for students from the adjoining communities of Trench Town, Rema, Arnett Gardens and Rose Town. On successful completion of the pilot phase other schools across Jamaica will be identified and supported. |
a. Student Support All activity in this realm will be geared toward providing for the physical and material needs of the students of selected schools. This will include furnishing students with meals, uniforms, books and other school supplies, technological aids (inclusive of, but not confined to IT), access to seminars, field trips and travel for the purposes of educational exposure. Student support will make up the bulk of ICF's focus. b. Teacher Development Understanding the major role that teachers play in the welfare and education of our children, and also aware of the significant lack of teaching professionals in many under-funded, inner-city and rurally located schools, ICF will provide direct funding for two aspects of Teacher development. These are: Assistance in the payment of teachers' salaries so as to ensure that the best possible instructors are recruited and retained in the previously selected schools. Assistance in the training of such members of staff to more adequately prepare them for participation in the process of educating children. Such assistance may take the form of, but not be limited to, workshops, seminars, courses of study and practicums. c. Infrastructure Maintenance and AcquisitionThis set of activities will be initiated as the third priority once ICF is satisfied that the other two aforementioned areas are being adequately serviced, notwithstanding the importance of the physical plant to the process of learning. Such activities will include repairs and maintenance to school facilities, furnishings and equipment, as well as the assistance in the procurement of land and edifices to advance the cause of education in previously disadvantaged youth. |
The launch of Integrity Children's Fund ICF was launched at a church service and luncheon on Sunday June 9, 2002 in Atlanta, Ga. Richard Delisser, chairman of the board of Operation Restoration, brought greetings from the school and related the needs of the school. He expressed gratitude on behalf of the children and staff of the school for the initiative taken by Integrity Childern's Fund and prayed for its success. ICF's work, he stated was not only about feeding and educating children, but was one that would save a generation of young people from a situation of hopelessness while producing productive and morally conscious human beings for the future welfare of Jamaica and the world. |
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