For many years the ownership (Puckett family) of Columbus Brick Company has been involved in missionary work both domestically and internationally. In the summer of 2005, a mission trip was planned to a village in Kenya, Africa. The purpose of the trip was to work at the Limuru Children’s Center some 40 miles north of Nairobi.  The Limuru Children’s Center was not supported by any organization but was rather a labor of love for a few local individuals. Although doing the best they could with the resources available, the children’s center lacked a great deal of the necessities that many take for granted.   

Moved by the experience of the trip and the desire to help those less fortunate, a nonprofit organization, Global Connections, was formed by some of the owners to support the Limuru Children’s Center as well as other causes in the area. As a result of the continued efforts of the family and Global Connections, the Limuru Children’s Center has grown considerably. Today the Limuru Children’s Center has two branches and 16 staff members. The center has grown from caring for 30 children in 2005 to over 200 in 2008.   Programs at the center now include preschool classes, feeding programs for both children and elderly and full time residency for orphans. Along with these programs, physical improvements have also taken place at the center. Running water and showers have been installed and the children’s center has relocated from a two room house to a vacant and now refurbished school to support these additional services.

In 2007, Columbus Brick Company made the decision to annually donate to Global Connections a percentage of its sales revenue. This money is to be used for supporting the Limuru Children’s Center, emergency relief in other parts Kenya, feeding programs, environmental initiatives and other projects that benefit those in need. If you are a customer of Columbus Brick Company we are grateful for your business and we want you to know that your business is helping those less fortunate.

To learn more about Global Connections and its work visit www.globalconnectionsonline.org.