St. John Jamaica Outreach Ministry Hopes To Inspire Community To Support A Charitable Cause

In the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium parking lot outside of Annapolis Blues FC games, a group of people have been donning bright traffic vests and waving red flags to attract attention. For the group, the Jamaica Outreach Ministry (JOM), such a reaction is the hope.

In 2007, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church adopted two sister parishes in Jamaica – St. Philomena and St. Margaret Mary. In doing so, parishioners volunteered to run the JOM as a chapter that personally delivers resources and funds raised to the churches, including an annual mission trip to visit the communities.

The JOM website says that the group aims to “aid and support the needs of the parishes through education and training of the local residents.”

Members decided to spread awareness of their cause at Annapolis Blues FC games after they learned they would no longer have a site for their monthly yard sales, so they got creative.

“This year, we were fortunate enough to get involved with directing parking for the Annapolis Blues FC at the Navy stadium,” said JOM member Barbara Perez. “We each pay our own way — including flight, room and board — to go to Jamaica, so all the funds raised go directly to supporting our mission.”

The mission to reach those in need of resources resonates deeply with the parishioners who choose to volunteer. They provide the “basics we take for granted,” Perez said.

When discussing those basic needs with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mandeville, which presides over the sister parishes, one priority is always mentioned: schools. However, much of the donations JOM gives are not simply supplies for education but also for necessities within the community, such as resources to help families who need access to facilities due to disabilities or AIDS. Volunteers support those individuals through their partnership with the Mustard Seed Communities, which helps children affected by HIV.

JOM members are invited to Jamaica to visit the parishes and meet members of the communities they are supporting.

“After my first trip, I felt such a sense of gratitude and love,” said Perez, adding that the group has made the trip for 10 or 11 years, excluding the years that COVID was widespread. “As they say, I got more out of the trip than I gave.”

To bring their cause to the attention of those within the local community, JOM members hoped to gather support. The Annapolis Blues FC game was their call to answer.

The group, who had, as Perez stated, “become a tight-knit family of volunteers,” gathered outside the game and campaigned their message to the fans. With their endorsement, the fans of the game helped a community far away without leaving their hometown.

With such hope, JOM members want to inspire those around them to join the mission to directly help those in need. Or, to support any mission.

Perez hopes that “people gain an understanding of the struggles that people face not only at home but abroad” and that they become inspired to get involved in any nonprofit.

This past February, another group of volunteers went to Jamaica, constructing new facilities for the schools and delivering supplies. For some, the highlight of the trip is always the appreciation from the families they get to meet.

“The gratitude of these families would put us to shame,” Sister Maureen Kelly of St. John said in a message included on JOM’s mission statement page. “The look in the eyes of these children when you give them a sandwich, or a cookie, makes your heart ache. Meeting a child who hasn’t had much to eat in several days calls me to examine myself and all that I have in life.”

Moving forward, volunteers hope to expand their efforts even further, especially within health education. As always, they are welcoming to anyone who is interested in a life-changing experience.

JOM president Gary Dinsick said all people are welcome to join the group’s “wonderful and fulfilling mission.” They plan to visit the Diocese of Mandeville next February and they currently have open slots.

“There is time to get on board,” Dinsick said.

To learn more, contact 410-437-1965 or outreach.jamaica@gmail.com.