RBC paints colour of love on National Day of Caring

The activity was one of two things RBC did in support of United Way’s National Day of Caring two Sundays ago.

The assistance from RBC, which will extend beyond the Day of Caring, was heartily welcomed by Deborah Clarke, administrative assistant at the LIFE Centre. The institution runs as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a subvention from Government and depends to a large extent on the goodwill of corporate entities, foundations and other benefactors to fulfill its mandate.

“We feel honoured. As you can see, the building needed some sprucing up. I don’t think we could have asked for anything more on this National Day of Caring. It will be a great lift for the students,” said a happy Clarke.

The LIFE Centre, located on Theodore Hertzell Avenue, Petit Valley, caters to “special needs” children. There are currently 18 students, ranging from eight to 24 years, and a staff of 15, comprising 12 teachers and three administrative personnel.

The mission of the centre is “to equip individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other communication related disorders with the skills and knowledge required for a fulfilling life in an accepting society”.

Building communities is a big part of RBC’s employee volunteerism.

Among the RBC staffers who did yeoman work on Sunday was Lianne Mitchell who formed an accomplished working partnership with her son, Keegan, a pupil of Belmont Boys RC Primary School. “We welcome this opportunity to help others. We do it with sincerity and the ultimate satisfaction that what we are doing here today will bring a smile to others.

Keegan and I are really happy to do our part in this RBC volunteerism project,” said Mitchell, as her son nodded in agreement.

Across in the sister Isle, the bank gave a helping hand to the Happy Haven School in Tobago with a $10,000 donation to cover costs for necessary teaching aids.

“This is truly a wonderful gesture from RBC Royal Bank and it will go a long way in assisting our students,” said Principal of Happy Haven School, Dianne Le Cointe.

The bank has a number of formal programmes that support employee volunteerism including its Day of Service Grants and Community Leadership Awards, both of which allow employees to earn funds for the charities and community activities they support.

Sunday’s exercise marked the second year of RBC’s association with United Way’s National Day of Caring, which underscores the bank’s corporate philosophy of helping clients thrive and communities prosper.