This June, I am honored to return to Jamaica to volunteer my time providing community vision screenings. Jamaica holds a special place in my heart: my mother is from Jamaica, and we will be based in Ocho Rios, her hometown, while serving surrounding communities. So, in many ways, it feels like coming home.

Although Jamaica is a beautiful island and a popular tourist destination, many residents face significant barriers to basic health care. The average annual income is around $1,000, making routine eye exams, glasses, and medications out of reach for many families. These challenges were further compounded last year when Hurricane Melissa struck in October 2025, resulting in devastating loss of life, homes, and livelihoods.

We will be partnering with the Alliance of Jamaican and American Humanitarians (AOJAH), an organization that has spent years working collaboratively to provide high-quality medical care, eye care, education, and social services to underserved communities. Each June, AOJAH brings together volunteer medical teams to serve rural mountain and low-income communities. The Eye Team alone helps nearly 2,000 Jamaicans each year by providing free glasses, sunglasses, glaucoma medications, and access to sight-restoring cataract surgeries.

I will be in Jamaica for one week, and I am seeking to raise $2,300 to cover the basic costs of this volunteer mission:

✈️ Airfare: approximately $650

Lodging: approximately $1,400

️ Per diem: $50 per day

Your generosity directly supports this effort and helps bring the gift of sight and compassionate care to communities that need it most. Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and belief in this work, it truly means more than I can say.