Jamaican Women Of Florida Turns Ten

As the newly elected president, what is your vision for Jamaican Women of Florida?

Janice McIntosh, (JM): We want to grow and expand the organization to include all Jamaicans of Florida: Jamaicanborn, Jamaican descent, married to a Jamaican, or your love for Jamaica. We want all connections to each other to be meaningful and mutually beneficial.

CT: What was the impetus really for starting the organization?

JM: The brainchild was really Cheryl Wynter, Community Relations Officer at the Jamaican Consulate in Miami. And Dahlia Walker-Huntington was the first president, and she really took it to a great start. They always say there are more Jamaicans living outside of Jamaica than in Jamaica. And that coupled with the fact that we are such a powerhouse as it relates to culture, sports, and entertainment, and the strength of our Jamaican-ness, we felt it was a disservice to not gather a group of diasporans who share the same heritage and culture and try and make something meaningful from it. So, even though sisterhood is at the center of what we do, charitable acts of service is really what drives our mission.

CT: So, it’s been 10 years. How has JWOF evolved over that period?

JM: Ten years might seem like a long time, but it’s really short in the scheme of things. With the advent of COVID, we lost about three years of just getting it all together and cementing certain things. But to be totally honest, I think how we have evolved is just our boldness in going to the forefront of things that need our attention. So, you know, we had a burn victim recently. We got a call from the consulate, and we were able to mobilize some funds for her in a short time. So, we are now seen as the organization that really