Students carry the picket fence shortly after it was built. - Contributed photos

Students of the Management of Meetings and Events class at UTech, with the permission of the Child Development Agency (CDA) and Homestead Place of Safety in Stony Hill, engaged in a charity event recently, aimed at revamping this facility.

THE WEEKEND STAR understands that initially, the class was planning a charity event at the Glenhope Nursery. However, because of a last-minute complication, the scheduled event had to be changed to the Homestead Place of Safety.

Since both homes fall under the auspices of the CDA, the organisers told THE WEEKEND STAR it was not very difficult to get approval from them to transfer the project to Homestead. However, although the date of the event was left unchanged, the actual work to be done had to be readjusted to fit the needs of the girls who reside at the home.

final execution

The selection of this event was a requirement by the Management of Meetings and Events course, and consequently was a graded assignment.

The planning, organisation and final execution of the event required that 29 diverse individuals, drawn from faculties across the university, work together to achieve a single goal.

The Communication Committee was instrumental in bringing on board the major sponsors of the event, namely: Berger Paints Jamaica Ltd., Edgechem Limited, Diamond Paints Limited, and J&E Industries Limited. Other sponsors were Development Bank of Jamaica, Lithographic Printers, OMS Construction Co, and Nubian Construction.

The Logistics Committee, through site visits, assessed and reported the more pressing needs of the home and it was then decided what areas the class would take on.

The committee also got quotations and source materials, did the detailed schedule of the day's activities, kept the flow of work going on the day.

A student adds the final touches to another dorm.

THE WEEKEND STAR was told that the days' activities got under way at 8:10 a.m. with a general meeting where the adviser/lecturer laid the groundwork for what was expected of all, followed by the chairman of the Logistics Committee who gave safety guidelines.

In the end, the following was undertaken by the group: painting of the dorms, repair and painting of broken wooden lockers, repair and painting of broken concrete benches. The group also laid blocks to enclose the garbage area, constructed picket fences, removed and replaced damaged kerbs, assembled, repaired and painted swings as well did play-area landscaping.

By 8 p.m., the dorms were painted beautifully in lilac, white and off white, removing the previously unsightly graffiti. Thirty of the 38 lockers were completed, the concrete benches were repaired and painted in blue and white, the kerb blocks were laid, and the picket fence was done.

The laying of the blocks to enclose the garbage area was also done, the swing was repaired and painted and the grounds groomed.

One of the dorms being painted.