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The power of community, partnership and shared purpose was on full display on Thursday evening as corporate leaders, development partners, philanthropists and child advocates gathered at the AC Hotel Kingston for Community Connect 2026, an evening dedicated to celebrating the collective impact of those working to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving and supportive family environment.

Hosted by SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica, the annual engagement served as both a celebration of partnership and a compelling call to action, bringing together long-standing supporters and new collaborators to learn how their investments continue to transform the lives of children and families across the island.

Host of the evening, Jason Brown, former Village Director of SOS Children’s Village Stony Hill and current Alternative Care Manager at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), reflected on the enduring importance of community in shaping children’s lives and encouraged attendees to see themselves as active participants in the organisation’s mission.

Sean Patrick (right), Fund Development & Communications Advisor, SOS Children’s Villages with Ina Sotirova (left), Film Maker and Floyd Garrett, Head of Strategy & Execution, Amber Pay at a SOS Children’s Villages Community Connect 2026, at the AC Hotel on July 2, 2026.

“Community is not simply where we live,” Brown said. “It is the people who choose to care, to support and to create opportunities for children to thrive. Tonight is about strengthening those connections and inviting even more partners to become part of that journey.”

The evening also highlighted the enduring mission of SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica to provide safe, loving homes for children without parental care while strengthening vulnerable families to prevent family separation whenever possible. Guests were welcomed by members of the Board of Directors, senior leadership, and staff who reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that every child grows up with the care, protection and opportunities they deserve.

Providing an overview of the organisation’s achievements over the past year, Sean Patrick, Fund Development and Communications Advisor, reflected on the resilience demonstrated by the organisation following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa while outlining an ambitious vision for expanding SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica’s impact across the island.

Patrick described Hurricane Melissa as one of the greatest operational challenges the organisation had faced in recent years, requiring immediate action to relocate families, assess damaged homes, support caregivers and ensure that children remained safe and emotionally supported throughout the crisis.

“One of the greatest lessons Hurricane Melissa reinforced is that resilience is never built during a disaster—it is built long before one arrives through strong communities and trusted partnerships,” Patrick said. “Because of the incredible support of our donors, corporate partners and volunteers, we were able not only to respond immediately but to begin rebuilding lives almost as soon as the storm had passed.”

Looking beyond recovery, Patrick outlined the organisation’s strategic priorities, noting that SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica is increasingly focused on strengthening families and communities before crises occur.

“Our vision extends well beyond our villages,” he said. “We are investing in programmes that strengthen families, empower communities and create sustainable support systems so children can remain where they belong whenever possible—with their families. By 2029, our goal is to positively impact more than 1,000 children annually through prevention, restoration and community-based programmes that create lasting change.”

He noted that initiatives such as YouthRise have already begun accelerating that vision, with hundreds of children benefiting from educational support following Hurricane Melissa after the organisation rapidly redirected resources to meet urgent community needs.

Patrick also highlighted the remarkable partnerships that made the organisation’s recovery efforts possible. Working alongside organisations including the VM Foundation, Scotiabank Global, SOS Children’s Villages Canada, C.H.E.W. Foundation, Ideal Finance Group, Half Moon Resort, IBEX, Marubeni Power International, ProComm Jamaica, Marcia Erskine & Associates, and numerous volunteers and community partners, SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica mobilised emergency accommodation, trauma-informed counselling through art and play therapy, educational vouchers, school supplies, uniforms, computers, office equipment and water infrastructure for schools serving vulnerable communities.

The organisation also partnered with schools in some of the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, installing water tanks, strengthening school infrastructure and ensuring hundreds of children were able to return to the classroom with the resources needed to continue their education.

Throughout the evening, guests were reminded that community is not defined simply by geography, but by a shared commitment to supporting one another, particularly during moments of crisis. Stories of caregivers, volunteers and neighbours working together during and after Hurricane Melissa illustrated the remarkable resilience of Jamaican communities and reinforced the organisation’s belief that every child deserves to grow up surrounded by stability, love and hope.

One of the evening’s most moving moments came with the premiere of a powerful documentary chronicling the experiences of families whose lives were forever changed by Hurricane Melissa.

Produced by Kingston-based multimedia storyteller, journalist, photographer and award-winning documentary filmmaker Ina Sotirova, the film offered an intimate portrait of resilience through the eyes of children, caregivers and communities rebuilding after the storm.

A graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Sotirova has more than 15 years of international media and production experience across the Caribbean, Europe, Central America and West Africa. Her work has appeared on Reuters, BBC, The Guardian and GEO Magazine, while her award-winning documentaries have received international recognition for their powerful, trauma-informed storytelling.

Reflecting on the project, Sotirova said she has always been driven to tell stories that create understanding and inspire action.

“I’ve always believed the stories that matter most are the ones that help us better understand one another,” she said. “What moved me most about SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica was not simply the devastation these families experienced, but the extraordinary resilience they demonstrated and the community that rallied around them. I hope this film encourages people to recognise that every one of us has the ability to make a meaningful difference in a child’s life.”

The documentary received an emotional response from guests, reinforcing the evening’s central message that while disasters may test communities, compassion, partnership and collective action create pathways to healing, resilience and hope.

As the event concluded, SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica invited Corporate Jamaica, development partners and members of the public to deepen their engagement through strategic partnerships, volunteerism and sustained investment in programmes that strengthen children, families and communities.

The organisation reaffirmed that its future strategy will continue to focus on prevention, family strengthening, youth empowerment and community resilience, ensuring that more Jamaican children can remain safely within their families while building brighter futures.

Community Connect 2026 concluded not simply as an evening of reflection, but as a renewed commitment to collaboration—demonstrating that when communities come together with purpose, children thrive, families grow stronger and lasting change becomes possible.