Our VISION, Our MISSION

B​arrels By Smiley, a non-profit 501c3 organization is a distributing Center of Love by producing Smiles.

Barrels By Smiley is created to carry out a simple mission, putting smiles on the faces of as many less fortunate children in the world as possible who are in need of help with basic schools supplies such as; book bags, notebooks, pencils, pens, uniforms and other needed necessities to attend school, starting in the island of Jamaica and the United States.   Helping children to feel special, well equipped, positive, motivated, happy and inspired to attend school for the upcoming school year.  So we on purpose make the extra effort to try and personalize each child book bag.  All equates to Healthy Learning.  

Education is Key...better opportunities, better life = better future.

 

Barrels By Smiley is dedicated to reach out to schools, families, organizations and communities to provide this service to children who are in need of the support. School children are recommended by teachers/principal or community referral based on their needs.

 

The WHY, The NEED

People think of Jamaica as a beautiful island to enjoy a lovely vacation, which it is. But like any other 3rd world country Jamaica has its challenges and one, is the education of children.  As of 2020, Jamaica has a population of more than 2.9 million residents and most live in poverty.  It has a poverty rate of over 17 percent still since 2016 and a high unemployment rate of 9.52 in 2019 according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica.  The minimum rate in Jamaica been only about $55 USD weekly for years and as increased slightly in 2023 to about $85 per week.  Therefore, many parents struggles to send their children to school daily with the necessary school supplies each year, along with providing them with transportation, lunch, uniform...etc.

 

And according to ChildrensDefense.org in the United States more than 10 million children, nearly 1 in 7 (14.4 percent) lived in poverty in 2019 and especially children of color.  The child poverty rate is one-and-a-half times higher than that for adults ages 18-64 (9.4 percent) and adults 65 and older (8.9 percent).  In 2019, a family of four was considered poor if their annual income fell below $26,172, which amounts to $2,181 a month, $503 a week, or less than $72 a day.  Almost half of all children living in poverty lived in extreme poverty, which is defined as half the poverty threshold or an annual income of $13,086 for a family of four. 

 

We know that it takes a village to raise a child, that’s why it is our mission to help each child in need one child at a time.