Transforming Healthcare and Education in Jamaica Together.
In 1992, knowing of the need for better quality healthcare in the countries of the Caribbean, Dr. Ronald I. Wong gathered together a group of Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica in Vancouver, BC. Out of this gathering was founded Canadian Jamaican Medical Assistance Society (CJMAS).
Since its formation in 1992, CJMAS has worked along many individuals and organizations based in Jamaica to make life-changing differences in the lives of Jamaicans in the areas of healthcare & education.
To date CJMAS has provided over $700,000 CDN in financial, medical and educational aid. The recipients of this aid include students, hospitals, schools, homeless rehabilitation & community development centres. In addition to continuing to raise awareness in the areas of education, mental health, homelessness, and community needs in Jamaica, your donation helps to forever change the lives of so many Jamaicans whom without donations like yours might never have realized their greatest potentials in life.
#FUNDRAISINGFORJAMAICA
Current Fundraiser:
April 26th | CJAMS SUN RUN Walkathon
This April 26th, we walk with purpose — to uplift young lives in Jamaica. Join us at 9am on Barnston Island to walk in loving memory of Wilma King Bennett, whose legacy of community upliftment lives on. Every step we take during our Sun Run Walkathon helps raise vital funds for North Street Primary School in Jamaica.
Can’t walk with us? You can still make a difference by donating today.Your support ensures children have access to the education and resources they deserve. Let’s turn steps into scholarships, memories into action, and compassion into change.
Walk with us. Give if you can. Every dollar makes a difference.
Tax receipts are issued for donations over $20.
Improving Lives One Person & One Project At A Time
Every dollar you donate makes a massive difference. With your donation CJMAS has been instrumental in providing countless Jamaicans with cooked meals, personal hygiene care, mental health care, job preparation exercises, clothing & toiletries, needs assessments, form completion assistance, psycho-social rehabilitation skills training, community re-integration skills training, basic literacy, innumeracy training, high-school fees support, post-secondary tuition support and the building of a basic school. While we have done so much, there is still an incredible amount of work left to do.
As you read about our charitable initiatives below, please consider making CJMAS a part of your regular giving plan in 2024. In 2024 we are focused on navigating the recovery from the economic slowdown of the endemic that has impacted those we serve. Your ongoing support ensures that we can continue making a difference in the lives of those who rely on our assistance.
Donate Today!
OPEN ARMS PROJECT
Open Arms Drop-In & Development Centre (OADC) is a day centre in Kingston, Jamaica for homeless adults, which serves to eliminate homelessness and aid the mentally ill by providing them an environment in which to learn the skills necessary to maximize their full potential in society.
In addition to the development centre, Open Arms operates a night shelter. Services offered by OADC include cooked meals, personal hygiene care, mental health care, job preparation exercises, clothing & toiletries, needs assessments, form completion assistance, psychosocial rehabilitation skills training, community re-integration skills training, basic literacy & innumeracy training, and spiritual support.
Since the opening ceremony on November 8th, 2006 Open Arms has seen its number of admitted residents increase exponentially. Currently, Open Arms is preparing to refurbish their hurricane-damaged buildings, rebuild their learning centre and provide transitional housing accommodations for current and future clients.
BLUEFIELDS PROJECT
Formerly the old Spanish colonial town of Oristan, Bluefields is now a quiet town in the heart of the Jamaican countryside with a wide variety of eco-activities and adventure tours available including world class bird-watching at Font Hill Beach, Jamaican crocodiles and the vibrant water birds in Black River. A simple fishing village with some of the best panoramic vista on the island you will find little of the glitz and glamour of city life in Montego Bay or the parties and nightlife of Negril.
There is a sense of balance and calm as one unwinds to enjoy the “soon come” laid back vibe. In contrast to the beauty of Bluefields the community is struggling to survive. The fish are few, as are the jobs. CJMAS has adopted this community in an effort to help build the local economy and shape the minds of the next generation by actively supporting the local education system.
Some of the projects undertaken by CJMAS in Bluefields include building a basic school, supporting a fish co-op, setting up a self-sustaining silk screening & sewing small business and putting computers in the Bluefields Community Association.
CJMAS LEGACY FUND
In 1992, knowing of the need for better quality healthcare in the countries of the Caribbean, Dr. Ronald I. Wong gathered together a group of Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica in Vancouver, BC. Out of this gathering was founded the Canadian Jamaican Medical Assistance Society whose mission was to provide medical assistance to the people of Jamaica. The CJMAS Legacy Fund was established in honour and remembrance of esteemed members who dedicated their lives to CJMAS’s philanthropic endeavours in the realms of health and education in Jamaica. By contributing to this fund, donors have the opportunity to amplify the legacy of these remarkable individuals while advancing critical causes that benefit communities in need in Jamaica.
Join CJMAS in Making A Difference in Jamaica
