ORANJESTAD- In May of 2018 the Kids Korner was started at the Taste Of The Cultures (TOTC). The idea was to create a safe and social hangout spot for the children, while giving their parents the opportunity to freely mix & mingle.

Kidz Korner keeps the youngsters entertained with the famous Bouncy Castle, PS4, Shooting basketball game for 2 players and sales of toys. All of this is possible through a group of volunteers, of which Leandra is one of the longest serving. Over the years, the times Leandra was absent from the event, could be counted on one hand. “Whenever she calls to say that she can’t be present, this is mostly beyond her control. She is a very loyal, committed and valuable volunteer” according to the Kidz Korner Group. 

For that reason Kidz Korner, during a recent dinner,  acknowledged and honoured Leandra, taking her by surprise by presenting her a plaque for her dedication and time over the past years. 

“I do what I do because of my love of servanthood and most importantly I love the relationship we have as a group. Words aren’t enough to express my gratitude and appreciation”, said Leandra. 

Leandra does her volunteer work at Kidz Korner, besides having her family with her husband Ash Belleau and their two sons, Jedediah and Jedaiah.

Other volunteer work

Leandra isn’t only volunteering her time to Kidz Korner, but is also a representative for the parents on the Government’s Safety Net Team for over 5 years. As such she was selected to travel to Aruba and Curacao to attend the Task Force Kingdom Conferences.

Leandra has served and is still serving for the past years on the PTA committees for the respective schools that her sons attends, up to date including the GvP School PTA. She is also an active member of the Senior Citizens committee and one of the founding members of the recently established JTL Autism Foundation.

Kidz Korner says they are thank for their sponsors, BigD Photo Studio, Johan Andrew from Accessible Ventures and St. Maarten Airways, who have made the event a very memorable for Leandra. 

According to the Kids Korner team, Mahatma Gandi said: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”, and this, according to the volunteers, shows the importance of volunteer work to the entire community.