The American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) will honour Michael Capponi, Edward Raine, and Norman W. Horne at its 2026 Jamaica Charity Gala on Saturday, June 6, at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel in Miami. 

The three are being recognised for their responsiveness, leadership, and sustained support during Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa.

Michael Capponi, Founder, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM)

Capponi founded GEM after the 2010 Haiti earthquake with a simple idea: deliver the most aid to the most people, in the shortest time, at the lowest cost to donors. Jamaica tested that model at scale. In the first week after Melissa made landfall, GEM delivered more than one million pounds of emergency supplies to the hardest-hit southwestern parishes, working from prepositioned warehouses in Kingston and coordinating with ODPEM, CDEMA, IOM, and AFJ. By early 2026, GEM had moved roughly four million pounds of food and materials into Jamaica through cargo planes, shipping containers, and cruise vessels. Long-term recovery work continues, including durable temporary roofing on homes and damaged health facilities.

Edward Raine, President and CEO, Food For The Poor

Under Raine’s leadership, Food For The Poor was named by the Office of the Prime Minister as a lead logistics partner for Jamaica’s national relief effort, handling inbound shipments, customs clearance, staging, and dispatch of humanitarian aid in coordination with the Humanitarian Assistance Committee, the Jamaica Defence Force, and ODPEM. The organisation opened regional hubs in Montego Bay and Spanish Town, committed more than $4 million in direct response costs, and ramped warehouse output to thousands of food kits a day. It has since launched the Jamaica Rebuild Campaign, a multi-phase housing initiative beginning with new homes in Petersfield. Raine, whose wife is Jamaican, has been on the ground in Jamaica throughout the response.

Norman W. Horne, CD, JP, Founder and Executive Chairman, ARC Manufacturing Limited

When AFJ expanded its relief operation beyond airlifts, ARC Manufacturing was among the Jamaican companies that stepped up. Alongside AFJ, Dennis Shipping, and Colgate-Palmolive, ARC helped coordinate sea freight deliveries of food, shelter materials, and clean drinking water to Westmoreland and surrounding parishes. The contribution drew on the operational footprint Horne built over three decades, turning a problem visible on rooftops across Jamaica, rusting zinc, into a manufacturing company now central to the country’s industrial base. Horne has served on the boards of JAMPRO, the National Housing Trust, and the Jamaica Manufacturers Association.

“This year’s honorees exemplify the vision and commitment that drive meaningful change across Jamaica and beyond,” said Caron Chung, AFJ Executive Director. “We are proud to recognise their contributions following Hurricane Melissa while bringing together a community of supporters dedicated to advancing resilience where it is needed most.”

The Jamaica Charity Gala is one of South Florida’s premier fundraising events for Jamaica-based initiatives, featuring a silent auction, curated wines, a three-course dinner, and live entertainment. Proceeds support AFJ’s annual grantmaking in education, healthcare, and economic development.