Sashawna Tomlinson gives back to children’s home she was raised in
WHEN 24-year-old Sashawna Tomlinson entered State care at Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston at the tender age of 12, she had no idea that she would eventually become passionate about helping those around her, especially children.
A student at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Tomlinson, along with her older brother, had to leave the care of her mother to live in the children’s home, because her mother was unable to fully care for them. And, according to Tomlinson, she does not regret her time there as it shaped her into the woman she is now.
“I am passionate about children, I am passionate about giving back [and] helping, you know not only monetary-wise, but actually helping people grow spiritually and mentally,” she told Career & Education.
“I was in State care for quite some time due to my mother’s inability to actually take care of me and my other sibling. That experience was overwhelming, but at the end of the day it groomed me into the woman I am today. It moved me to become a better person, it helped [me] to develop some sort of stability.”
Being passionate about helping the less fortunate, Tomlinson set her eyes on the children’s home that raised her throughout her teen years and established the Give to Inspire Group in 2019.
“I give back to the community, especially the community that I am in. Also, I’ve given back to Maxfield Park Children’s Home. I am looking for some form of donations right now, because the children’s home is in a deplorable state, so I would love to get some help just to [assist],” she stated.
“We [the group] actually come together and put our money together to get the stuff that is needed. Year before last Pepsi had given us some donations. Also in 2019, Crazy Jim actually donated as well, and I did a back-to-school treat last year for the Bay Farm Road community, ” Tomlinson said, as she noted that, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, she has been limited in how she is able to help the children.
“It’s affecting the work I want to do in a major way because you know that everything is cut down. The company that we are looking forward to getting sponsorship from, they would have to budget, so it kind of put a pause on some things. Nonetheless, things do happen, we just have to move on. Given that the place is coming back to some form of normalcy, we are hoping to get as much sponsorship as possible.”
Noting that children should focus on their goals regardless of their background, Tomlinson said, “I just want to tell them that whatever you’ve been through, don’t let it predict your future. Regardless of what you’ve been through, it’s ambition that does it, because, even if you’re intelligent, if you don’t have ambition then it won’t cut it.”
“Stay focused and don’t be in a rush, because what you are rushing toward is not necessarily what you will get. Stay on the right path, do the right thing, and become what you need to become. Don’t be forced or pushed into anything,” she added.