The season of giving comes early for 2022 Inc 5000 honoree, Prospect Cleaning Service, which is Jamaican owned and based in Brooklyn, New York. Every year the company’s owner and CEO, Ingrid Murray, spearheads various outreach programs both in her home country of Jamaica, and her adopted home of New York City.
Back to School Program
It begins at the end of summer with their Back To School program. Prospect Cleaning provides children in both New York City and Jamaica with books, tuition, stationery and uniforms. Also, knowing that teachers are the sculptors of the minds of children and are often underfunded, the company provides classroom essentials such as dry-erase markers, textbooks, and other necessities.
Week of Kindness
In October, Prospect Cleaning implements the Week Of Kindness. For this initiative, throughout the year, Murray works closely with her boots-on-the-ground team in St.Catherine, Jamaica to identify the needs of her one-time community, which gave her so much. “When I started my own business, I saw the need to give back, because people have helped me over the years to get to where I am today, so it pressed upon me to do the same,” Murray explains.
With the problems identified – it could be a damaged roof that needs repair, an out of control lawn that needs regular maintenance, or simply paying off an electric bill – Prospect Cleaning Service provides the funding for the Jamaican team to help in community maintenance. Where possible, permanent solutions are enacted by doing such things as linking together community members to support each other, or introducing solar panels to reduce the reliance on utility companies.
Thanksgiving Outreach
Next, in November there’s the Thanksgiving Outreach. Every year Prospect Cleaning Service partners with a charity to implement this special outreach in New York City. In 2022, the company partnered with the Seeds In the Middle organization, which prioritizes health, arts and education to provide needy New Yorkers with the means to prepare Thanksgiving meals.
Senior Treat
Prospect Cleaning Service wraps up the year of giving wraps with the Senior Treat in December. “We work with the same team in Jamaica that assists with the Week of Kindness to provide a charitable donation that goes towards giving the elderly an incredible day just for them, ” Murray notes. Many of these esteemed citizens live alone and are given catered food, pedicures, manicures, hair grooming and other care services. Finally, they’re provided with grocery packages filled with essentials, such as rice, flour, cooking oil, codfish and more.
Why she does it…
This level of outreach is not common, but Murray says it’s a very important aspect of her business and life.
“I took a long, hard and meandering road to arrive at success,” she says. “I want to pave a smoother road so a younger version of me will get here easier.”
Whether it was her community, her relatives, her friends, or the church, Murray believes she has benefited from the kindness of others, and sees herself as next up in the chain of support to pull up whoever needs it.
Also, for Murray, the importance of education cannot be overstated. School is a formative and difficult enough time for both students and parents, which is compounded for those who have to worry about inequalities outside of their control. According to Murray, “No student should be lost in the system because of external circumstances.”
“Life moves fast and sometimes those among us who have given so much, and have so much wisdom left to give, fall through the cracks, ” Murray says. “I believe the best days of our esteemed elderly are never behind them, they should be treasured and cared for.”
For Murray and her team at Prospect Cleaning Service, giving back simply brings joy and happiness. It’s just a part of Murray’s nature, she says… It’s something she’s been doing since childhood. She’s happiest making others happy, and it’s an example she wants to set for her children.
