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BOSSMOM BUILDS
The 2022 staging of The BossMom Network’s Mother’s Day activities saw another philanthropic project, this year under the theme ‘BossMom Builds’. Launched in 2020, the BossMom Network is a community of mothers-inbusiness, building viable businesses, raising children and fostering successful relationships. The platform exists to help BossMoms effectively and e ciently balance family and career through information, products, ideas, advice, tools and services.
For the past two years since 2020, the BossMom Network has partnered with corporate Jamaica to gift mothers-inneed with practical and well-needed gifts procured through BossMom donations and corporate sponsorship for Mother’s Day.
The 2022 project comprised a powerful partnership with one of Jamaica's leading philanthropic institutions, Food For The Poor, where volunteer moms from The
BossMom Network built houses for three mothers to call home and build a better life for their families.
The BossMom Network and Food for the Poor identified mothers-in-need through the organization’s nearly 40-year housing procurement project. The recipients of the houses were chosen through the FFTP selection process which requires that applicants demonstrate proof of ownership of the land on which the house will be built. In collaboration with BossMom Michelle Gordon, the entities provided support to mothers who have existing entrepreneurial ventures.
The homes provided were equipped with indoor sanitation, solar-powered lighting, a gas stove, water tank, kitchen sink and cupboard, guttering for water harvesting and more. There is also a loft space for greater sleeping capacity and a mini solar . panel to provide basic lighting.
The BossMom Network ‘upped the ante’ with this initiative and handed over to each BossMom-in-need, in addition to a physical structure, furnishings, including beds, mattresses and bedding, small appliances, groceries, amenities and other accessories included. “For each recipient the gift of a new home is more than the structure...it’s a place of safety… it’s a place of comfort… it brings peace... it brings love... it brings hope!”, shares Marsha Burrell-Reid, Development & Marketing Manager at Food for the Poor.
“BossMom Builds 2022 improved for these mothers, their capacity to live up to their potential, and to feel more confident about the future of their families, and also that of their businesses,” shared Gordon.
Since inception, Food for the Poor has built and donated more than 36,000 homes island-wide, with 360 homes built in 2020.
Build-out teams for this Mother’s Day initiative included volunteer ‘BossMoms’ Interior Designer Angelie Spencer, Transport Consultant Selena MohammedWilson, PR and Marketing maven DebbieAnn White, and The Children’s Advocate of Jamaica and the National Rapporteur on Tra cking in Persons, Diahann GordonHarrison. “Good corporate citizens have a heart for social issues, especially where these intersect with positively impacting the most vulnerable of our society. Our children and mothers-in-need fall squarely in that bracket, and it's extra special when moms-in-business can give back to moms
who are not as secure as they are and have a great need,” shares Mrs. Gordon-Harrison.
“This collaboration for Mother’s Day 2022 with Food for the Poor - BossMom Builds - has been our most ambitious project todate, shares B3BossMom and project lead, Michelle Gordon. “A place she is proud to call home, a place her children know as their safe space... I can't think of a more beautiful Mother's Day gift for any Mom.”
The build-out and furnishing of the three homes is being made possible by corporate sponsorships and private donations of financial and practical support provided by URGE Foundation, TuffGong Worldwide, First Rock Foundation, Sagicor Foundation, The O ce of the Children’s Advocate, Three:23 Projects, Half Moon, Nestle, Narcisse Holdings, KFC, Ford, Value Gas, Grace Kennedy Foods, Proven, MDS Limited, Home by MDS, Athena Care Medical, Jambisco Holiday Snacks, Soldanza, Grape WATA, Joseph’s, WATA, Payless Shoe Source, Commercial Concepts, Ideas From Us, Therapedic, Woman’s Touch Sanitary Napkins, Ideas From Us, Altamont Court Hotel
