The season of giving comes early for us at Prospect Cleaning Service. Every year our CEO, Ingrid Murray, spearheads various outreach programs that the company conducts both in her home country of Jamaica, and her adopted home of New York City.
It begins at the end of summer with our Back-To-School program. We provide children in both New York City and Jamaica with books, tuition, stationery and uniforms. Also, knowing that teachers are the sculptors of the minds of our children and are often underfunded, we provide classroom essentials such as dry-erase markers, textbooks, and other necessities.
In October, we implement the Week Of Kindness. Throughout the year, our CEO works closely with her boots-on-the-ground team in St.Catherine, Jamaica, to identify the needs of her one-time community, which gave her so much. “When I started my own business, I saw the need to give back, because people have helped me over the years to get to where I am today, so it pressed upon me to do the same,” Ingrid explains.
With the problems identified – it could be a damaged roof that needs repair, an out of control lawn that needs regular maintenance, or simply paying off an electric bill – Prospect Cleaning Service provides the funding for our Jamaican team to give back to the community. Where possible, permanent solutions are enacted by linking together community members who are alike to support each other, or introducing solar panels to the community to reduce the reliance on utility companies.
In November, there’s the Thanksgiving Outreach. Every year Prospect Cleaning Service partners with a charity to implement this special outreach. In 2022, we partnered with the Seeds In the Middle organization which prioritizes health, arts and education to help provide needy New Yorkers with the means to prepare Thanksgiving meals.
Our year of giving wraps with the Senior Treat in December. We work with the same team in Jamaica that assists with the Week of Kindness to provide a charitable donation that goes towards giving the elderly an incredible day just for them. Many of these esteemed citizens live alone and are given catered food, pedicures, manicures, and hair grooming. Finally, they’re provided with a grocery care package filled with essentials – rice, flour, cooking, codfish, etc.
This level of outreach is not common, but here are some of the reasons our CEO finds it important.
Paving the Way Forward
Ingrid took a long, hard and meandering road to arrive at her success. She wants to pave a smoother road so a younger version of her will get there easier.
Outreach Made Her Who She Is
Whether it was her community, her relatives, her friends, or the church, Ingrid believes she has benefited from the kindness of others, and sees herself as next up in the chain of support to pull up whoever needs it.
Education Is a Pillar
For Ingrid, the importance of education cannot be overstated. School is a formative and difficult enough time for both students and parents, which is compounded for those who have to worry about inequalities outside of their control. Ingrid believes that no student should be lost in the system because of external circumstances.
The Elderly Are Often Neglected
Life moves fast and sometimes those among us who have given so much, and have so much wisdom left to give, fall through the cracks, Ingrid says. We believe the best days of our esteemed elderly are never behind them, they should be treasured and cared for.
Giving is Joyous
For our team at Prospect Cleaning Service, giving simply makes us happy. Ingrid also says that giving is just a part of her nature. She’s happiest making others happy, and it’s an example she wants to set for her children.