Where it all began
Pencils 4 Kids began in the 1990s with one woman returning to her rural hometown of Quickstep in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica to give back. Every year she would graciously donate school and medical supplies to the school and community. After her unexpected passing in 2007 her youngest son, Randy Griffiths, was inspired by her generosity and formed Pencils 4 Kids to continue her legacy of giving back.
Since forming our official non-profit charitable organization in 2015, Pencils 4 Kids has returned to Jamaica to give back to the very same elementary school Randy attended. Our objective is to help children by empowering them with some much needed but unavailable tools, such as pencils and other school supplies. Something as simple as a few pencils can make an enormous impact on these kids.
Quickstep is a small rural town in which many of its community members struggle to provide their families with the bare necessities. We want to give the school and its students as many resources as we can in order to encourage their growth and education.
Pencils 4 Kids has grown from the Griffiths family to their extended family and friends. Each year we continue to organize a group to journey to Jamaica and bring all sorts of supplies for the kids and the classrooms. We have also begun to do various activities with the help of our volunteers, such construction projects and educational field trips.
Our accomplishments:
2015 - Completed driveway
2016 - Leveled playing field
2017 - Restored exterior of school
2018 - Installed perimeter fence
2019 - Built library
2020 - Purchased school bus
2021 - Completed garage for bus
2022 - Created farm, built Basic School, and installed bus stops
2023 - Phase 1 of sports complex: Built playground and free Wifi installed
2024 - Phase 2 of sports complex: Built soccer field and put up solar lights
All of this is possible with the generosity of many donors and volunteers. As each year passes this organization continues to grow in numbers. We would love to bring this tradition to more countries as this Pencils 4 Kids gains momentum. If you are interested in helping, we would love to have you be a part of it! Whether it is through volunteering or donating, we appreciate all your support.