Andre's Auto

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021 19 congratulates the hard-working team at Andre’s Auto as they celebrate 40 years of quality service and nation-building . May they continue to see success for another 40 years and beyond. ANDRE’S AUTO 40TH ANNIVERSARY schools, not only providing finan- cial support to the schools and the children, but I brought a lot of my friends who were from more privi- legedbackgrounds, andwe started a movement that has kind of mirrored the BigBrother/BigSistermovement.” This organisation is called Guiding Light. It was founded with the help of Nicole Samuels, Peter Green, Denise Tate, Donna Minnott, Jason Flynn, GarthWilliams, Althea Sinclair, among others. The men- torship programme provides for youngsters from less than ideal so- cial circumstances, yielded success stories and continues to do so some 30 years after its creation. Hylton would like to see more emphasis on mentorship at the national level. He recommends the Government take a look at institu- tionalisingmentorship programmes all across Jamaica. He also noted that the most fruitful returns from his philanthropic causes did not come from throwing money at the problems these children face. “When you give of your material wealth you really give little, but when yougive of yourself iswhen you truly give. So, the time spent with those kids, I think, has beenone of themost impactful things.There are somepeo- ple who are doing this through the mentorshipprogramme, but I believe wehave to transformthemindat 0-6,” says Hylton. Hylton went on to join the Rotary Club of Kingston at the invitation of a friend, where he continued to give back to the community. Hemade the point that being a Rotarian helped him in his own personal develop- ment, himself still being a youngman looking to find his way in the world. He is still a member of the club today, and says he feels very com- fortable in an environment where business professionals like him use their time and resources to give back to communities with the goal of improving social conditions of the country as a whole. Although Hylton opts for a more personal approach to giving back, it does not mean he believes financial contributions are insignificant. He believes that people should give in a way that is meaningful to them and that not everyone is inspired to give of themselves personally. However, this does not mean their contribution is“lesser than”, because money also has its part to play in strengthening the community. He argued that more businesses and business owners should not shy away from community devel- opment, but rather treat it as an investment in their business. He says all businesses should want the quality of life in Jamaica to improve, because it will bode well for busi- nesses in the long term. Hylton says: “If you invest in the community, people will grow and increase their disposable income which ultimately benefits busi- nesses in Jamaica. You can’t just in- vest in the now; you have to invest in the tomorrow. Investing in edu- cating the people and empowering the people will mean that the next generation will be stronger finan- cially; which means your business will become even stronger. That’s the way I’ve chosen to look at it.” The symbiotic relationship be- tween businesses and consumers described by Hylton is one he hopes will continue to flourish, as he works to give back to the community and encourages others to do the same. LIGHT CONTINUED FROM 15 August Town Shoe project group with US Marines and Rotarian Andre Hylton (left), Pastor Brown, among others.