GraceKennedy (GK) has donated J$15 million to Project STAR, a partnership between the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) aimed at bringing about social and economic transformation in Jamaica.

The GK donation will support Project STAR in its mission to uplift and empower underserved Jamaican communities through focused interventions.

GraceKennedy Group CEO Don Wehby commented, “For over a century, GraceKennedy has been investing in the well-being of Jamaican communities, working through our two foundations to foster positive change. But the transformative change we are working towards cannot be achieved by a single entity or individual. It requires powerful and effective partnerships, and that’s precisely what Project STAR embodies.”

He continued, “We look forward to seeing the long-term positive change that Project STAR will bring about for many of our vulnerable citizens.”

GraceKennedy has been a dedicated partner of Project STAR since its inception in 2022, offering in-kind support for its community meetings and youth empowerment camps throughout downtown Kingston. Through the Company’s Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation (Grace & Staff), GK has also been providing individual and group counselling to residents of Project STAR target communities in downtown Kingston.

CEO of Grace & Staff, Sandrina Davis, affirmed the Foundation’s shared vision with Project STAR’s approach, “The Project STAR approach aligns perfectly with our community outreach work at the Foundation. We both believe in effecting change from the ground up, and this starts in our own backyard, in the communities surrounding our operations across the island.”

Saffrey Brown, Project Director of Project STAR, thanked GK for its support which “demonstrates the continued commitment of corporate partners to the goals and objectives of Project STAR. GK is a natural partner who has been doing important work in communities for many decades, including our first STAR community of Parade Gardens”.

 

 

CEO of the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation, Sandrina Davis (left) and GraceKennedy’s General Counsel & Chief Corporate Secretary, Gail Moss-Solomon (second right), present a cheque for J$15 million to Project STAR’s Project Director, Saffrey Brown (centre) and Executive Director of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Sacha Vaccianna Riley (right) on October 31 at the GK Headquarters in downtown Kingston.