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American Friends of Jamaica Distributes Over One Million Dollars in Grants Across Jamaica

American Friends of Jamaica Distributes Over One Million Dollars in Grants Across Jamaica - Wendy Hart
Wendy Hart – President American Friends of Jamaica, Inc.

by Derrick Scott

Washington, DC – The US based charity, American Friends of Jamaica, Inc. (AFJ) has made donations and grants amounting to over U$1 million dollars to forty six charitable and community organizations across Jamaica.

A statement from American Friends of Jamaica said grant awards presented during the 2019-2020 Grant Cycle amounted to U$1,025,791 or J$138,481,785 Million.

Today, twenty-five (25) awardees were announced at the AFJ’s first virtual Grant Awards Ceremony. These included Donor Advised Awards and scholarships as well as discretionary grants amounting to U$283,274.84 or JA$36,825,729.20 Million which were presented during today’s virtual Grant Ceremony.

Donor Advised Grants  were made to: Bull Savannah Primary, Chapelton Hospital – Beverly Nichols Pavillion, Cornwall Regional Hospital, Creative Language, Fight for Peace, Friends of Hopewell, Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), Jamaica Trail Project, Rose Town Foundation, Sacred Heart, School for the Deaf, Success By Six, St. Mary’s Preparatory, Treasure Beach Women’s Group, Women’s Leadership Jamaica.

Discretionary Grants were made to: Southern Basketball, Open Arms Development Centre; COVID-19 Response Fund Food Relief; COVID-19 Relief ventilators and vital signs monitors.

Scholarships and bursaries amounting to US$25,000 were presented to a number of students attending the University of the West Indies, on behalf of former United States Ambassadors Sue Cobb, Gary Cooper, and Glen Holden.

Scholarships were also presented on behalf of Kevin Paul Akindele Wright, as well as Ralph and Ricky Lauren Family Foundation.

The American Friends of Jamaica, Inc. (AFJ) continues to make an impact in Jamaica by strategically connecting resources from North America with the island.  The AFJ offers a range of charitable fund types to meet the specific needs and charitable desires of each donor,

President of the AFJ Wendy Hart said “The AFJ was committed to working with its partners, donors, private and public sector entities and grantee organizations to mitigate the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and to build on its mission of a stronger Jamaica.”

 American Friends of Jamaica Distributes Over One Million Dollars in Grants Across Jamaica - AFJ Executive Director, Caron Chung -
AFJ Executive Director, Caron Chung

AFJ Executive Director, Caron Chung noted that “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, grants were pivoted to meet urgent relief in Jamaica with a focus on providing much needed medical relief and improving food security to the most at risk.  We look forward to resuming our normal discretionary grant making in 2021”.

She explained that The AFJ’s grant-making cycle began in November and grantees are selected once per year.  She said the AFJ is able to award grants from proceeds raised from annual Galas in New York and Miami, private foundations, corporate partnerships and donor direct contributions.

The American Friends of Jamaica is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting Jamaican charitable organizations and social initiatives targeted at improving the lives of Jamaicans through systemic development in the areas of education, health care and economic development.

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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