Radisson staff’s beautiful relationship with Liberty Children’s Home

There were no classes today and the kids at the Liberty Children’s Home in Ladyville had another reason to celebrate. They got a visit today from their friends at the Radisson who brought along a van for them to hand paint. But it was not just for fun, the van will be a form of advertising for support for the children’s home, which has fallen on difficult financial times. News Five’s Delahnie Bain caught the kids in action this morning.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

The Radisson Fort George has been a partner of the Liberty Children’s Home for the past few years, providing financial support, particularly when other sources ran dry. Today the Radisson staff got the kids involved in a fun and innovative way to advocate for support for the home.

Terez Tillett, Online Sales Manager, Radisson

“Coming here with the van and bringing our staff, it’s a fun day for the kids, it’s a fun day for us. The staff gets to know exactly what it is that they’re promoting when they’re talking to folks at the hotel, the kids get to act silly and paint a van. So what we’re doing is we have a bunch of different colors, really bright vibrant colors and we’re having them dip their palm into the paint and putting it on the Radisson van.”

Delfena Mitchell, Director, Liberty Children’s Home

delfena mitchell

“I think it was a fabulous idea; I think it was a great day for the children to spend their day off from school. We are very, very grateful to the Radisson for partnering with Liberty. As you know last year we had a very hard time financially and with Radisson’s help we were able to pull through and we’re still functioning today.”

The activity was the brainchild of the Radisson’s online Sales Manager, Terez Tillett, who says it’s a fun way to send a serious message.

Terez Tillett

“I love being here, I think they’re a hoot. The staff came in and two minutes after being here, already they were forming relationships with different kids and the kids just seemed to have formed a bond with each individual person. And it’s a fun time and yes, everybody’s having a good giggle but at the same time we need to understand that what we’re doing here is serious work—I mean serious with a light side, but it’s serious nonetheless.”

The palm prints symbolize the two organizations working hand in hand for the benefit of the kids at Liberty, who come from homes of neglect or abuse. Radisson also contributes to the children with the dollar for dollar program.

terez tillett

Terez Tillett

“The Radisson Hotel participates with a matching dollar for dollar program at the hotel. So when guests check in, they have an option of if they give a dollar to the Liberty Children’s Home, when they leave we add the dollar to their bill. If they’re cool with that, we will the match that dollar and it goes into the Liberty Children’s Home fund and a cheque is given to them every month.”

Delfena Mitchell

“The Radisson is like, you know that uncle out there or that aunt out there that you can count on when you can’t meet the bills? Well that’s how the Radisson has been for us over the past few years, especially in 2009 when things got bad.”

And since their financial woes in 2009, things have somewhat balanced out for Liberty Children’s Home, but according to its Director, Delfena Mitchell, they have still not fully recovered.

Delfena Mitchell

“Liberty is alive and thriving; we’re doing okay. We’re still not there yet financially, but our headquarters in the UK had a fundraiser that was very successful in February of this year and so we have money to pay our bills each month. But we’re still not back to our full capacity, as far as having our full staff, but we’re surviving.”

After the kids made their mark, their work of art was completed with the words “Hand in Hand with Liberty Children’s Home” painted along the side of the van. Delahnie Bain for News Five.