Saint John’s donates $1M in furniture for schools in Puerto Rico, DR
IslandCorps will send the items to furnish nearly 50 classrooms.
In a gesture of solidarity and commitment to educational equity, Saint John’s School in San Juan’s Condado district has donated more than $1 million in furniture and equipment to IslandCorps, a nonprofit focused on improving education and pediatric health in the Caribbean.
The donation includes more than 3,000 items — enough to furnish nearly 50 classrooms — and will benefit low-income schools in Puerto Rico as well as school sites in the Dominican Republic.
IslandCorps will distribute the equipment to schools it supports in San Juan, Carolina and Vega Baja. Additional supplies will be sent to new initiatives in the Dominican Republic, including the Dajabón border region near Haiti. The organization said the effort will benefit thousands of students currently lacking safe and healthy learning spaces.
The donation supports IslandCorps’ mission to reduce health risks such as respiratory illness caused by poor ventilation and mold in deteriorating school buildings. The organization views quality classroom infrastructure as essential not only to education, but to children’s dignity, mental health and long-term development.
“This donation goes far beyond desks and chairs,” said María “Lulu” Mayorga, executive director of IslandCorps. “It reflects a conscious and sustainable choice by our partners at Saint John’s School. All children deserve dignified learning spaces that nurture their self-worth. With this support, we are not only repurposing equipment with plenty of life left in it — we are delivering hope, equity and a renewed educational environment.”
The donation’s logistics are being coordinated and sponsored by Dueñas Trailers, a Puerto Rican company that is providing four 40-foot containers to store and transport the goods to the schools.
To assist in preparing the shipment, IslandCorps will host a series of community volunteer brigades at Saint John’s School (1454 Ashford Ave., San Juan) on the following schedule:
- Tuesday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Preschool and Kindergarten)
- Wednesday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
