Members of Jamaican Women of Florida - Photo Credit: David I Photo
SOUTH FLORIDA – Several members of the Jamaican Women of Florida (JWOF) will conduct a three-day mission trip with their adopted home – the Melody Home for Girls in Montego Bay, St. James.
The team, led by President Janice McIntosh, and Vice President, Aisha King-Rainford, will leave South Florida on Thursday, (Oct. 12).
The JWOF team will present a check of $12,500 (US) to assist with the building of a transition home for the girls at the current location. The erection of the building has already started.
Members of Jamaican Women of Florida – Photo Credit: David I Photo
Planned Workshops
During the three-day retreat, the team, consisting of various professionals will conduct a workshop agenda with like-minded professionals in Jamaica on topics prepared to empower the young female residents at the Home. Some of the topics to be presented include:
Interactive Theater with Cathy Levy, renowned stage director, actress, instructor and technican
Life Skills with JWOF member and educator, Judith Mercurius
Empowerment, Cyber safety and Authentic Self with Judith Hall, JWOF member, educator and author
Other activities will include social activities and interaction with the Melody House residents. They will enhance ongoing relationships and prepare them for productive and independent lives as they approach adulthood.
The workshop agenda on empowerment and leadership skills is designed to engender in each participant trust, self-confidence and awareness. For example, Levy’s interactive techniques will prepare them for mental, emotional and physical demands of performance.
President McIntosh has stated that the JWOF overall mission is to empower and uplift women. Talking about the excitement in preparing for the mission trip, she stated that “visiting the Montego Bay Home for girls who have had serious life challenges gives us an opportunity to pour into their lives an affirmation of their worth, a spark of hope, and a promise of a brighter tomorrow”. She was confident that the mission would be a success as “our service to these girls will ignite the flames of empowerment, lighting a path towards dreams realized and potential unleashed”.
Melody House For Girls
Melody Housewas established in 1979, and is a private, nonprofit organization that provides housing to abandoned and abused girls outside Montego Bay, Jamaica. The home receives partial funding from the Jamaican Government. However, it is mostly supported by charitable donations.
The facility sits on several acres of land and can cater up to 20 girls at any given time. With the help of the small staff and volunteers, the girls have planted and maintain gardens of fruits and vegetables. Together, the girls work as a team to can mangoes for the Home. They are also self-sufficient with raising chickens, and selling the chickens and eggs.
JWOF
The South Florida-based organization of professional women recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary with noted accomplishments, empowering women through education, mentoring and personal development.
JWOF is a Florida Not-For-Profit, founded in October 2012 as an organization designed to provide an outlet for Jamaican women to empower themselves through networking, mentoring, and personal development.
Through its mission, JWOF has continued to partner with local and international organization to assist young children; to provide four-year scholarships to Jamaican/American high school graduating females college-bound; inspiring women through personal development programmes, and mentoring the next generation of powerful women in Jamaica and Florida.
JWOF is dedicated to Jamaican Women – Powerful Women . . . Worldwide.
