450 Residents and 1,000 Missing Volunteers: Mustard Seed Communities Appeals for Help

• Mustard Seed Communities, founded in 1978 by Monsignor Gregory Ramkissoon, housed more than 450 residents
• They include children with disabilities, children living with HIV and teen mothers
• The pandemic halted a volunteer programme that brought about 1,000 overseas visitors a year
• JN Foundation concerts helped raise money for medical care, utilities and food

In December 2021 the Catholic-founded charity Mustard Seed Communities appealed for donations after the COVID-19 pandemic cut off one of its main sources of support. The Jamaica Observer reported that the organisation, founded in 1978 by Monsignor Gregory Ramkissoon, was housing more than 450 residents.

Those residents include children with disabilities, children living with HIV, pregnant teenagers and teen mothers with their babies. Executive director Darcy Tulloch-Williams said the major costs were medical care, particularly for residents with seizure disorders and elderly residents, medication for conditions such as diabetes, utilities and food.

The pandemic had hit the charity hard, just as the cost of caring for residents kept rising. It forced the suspension of a volunteer programme that had brought about 1,000 international volunteers a year from North America and Europe, many of whom also brought donations and expertise.

The JN Foundation had helped before, raising $1.8 million through a virtual concert in 2020 for medical expenses, utilities and food. In December 2021 its Holiday Vibes concert series featured artistes including Tony Rebel, Rondell Positive and Agent Sasco to raise more.

Housing 450 vulnerable people means running a network of homes with bills that never stop. The story shows how dependent faith-based residential care in Jamaica is on overseas visitors and diaspora goodwill, and how quickly a global shock can disrupt it. For Jamaicans abroad, regular giving to established homes like Mustard Seed helps keep roofs, lights and water on for residents who have nowhere else to go. For churches, it is a reminder to build local income streams alongside international support, so that a shock overseas does not leave residents at home without care.

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