Celebrate Everyday Heroes with Give to Jamaica Week

Miami-based business leader Barron Channer emigrated from Jamaica to the United States when he was just 8 years old. But he never forgot his roots, nor the love and beauty of that Caribbean island. Today, as a philanthropist and corporate citizen, Channer is determined to give back to the country that helped shape him. Creating a pathway that could bolster the charitable spirit of the Jamaican Diaspora to contribute to the island’s economic, cultural, and educational development is just one example of his altruism.

Channer is a founding Director of the Give to Jamaica Foundation, a Florida non-profit, and a member of the organizing committee for Give to Jamaica Week with the prime objective to increase the exposure of the Jamaican Diaspora to impactful charities in Jamaica. With a launch date set for October 18-24, 2025, inclusive of Jamaica’s National Heroes Day, Give to Jamaica Week will celebrate everyday heroes improving lives and communities in Jamaica.

“I come from a fairly humble family. Being poor in Jamaica is shown in multiple ways — economically, but never poor spiritually or from the standpoint of family love. As I came to the US and had the great opportunity to transition economic classes, mainly through the same kind of academic pedigree that your parents encourage you to have, it dawned on me that I had an opportunity to be helpful to people who were essentially like me, but may not have had fortune or some of the lucky breaks that I've had. And philanthropy was a way for me to be helpful to folks,” Channer told Caribbean Today in a recent interview.

Seed Planted

This business leader’s journey into philanthropy began some two decades ago as an active member of the American Friends of Jamaica, a not-for profit dedicated to supporting Jamaican charitable organizations and social initiatives. It is here as a board member where a seed was planted, one that has started to grow and with the potential to become hugely impactful as the Diaspora becomes aware of the local charities in Jamaica.

Channer explained that the Foundation is trying to create a way for people to be connected to the many meaningful charities in Jamaica and hopefully fall in love with a couple of them, and then be able to contribute directly to them. The organizing committee also looked at the potential dollar amount from the Jamaican Diaspora in America that could change lives in Jamaica.

“Their capacity for annual charity is estimated around US$1 billion given population size, income levels, and penchant for charitable donations. Jamaican charities receive an almost non-existent share of this massive charitable potential. The team at the Give To Jamaica Foundation believe this comes down to a lack of exposure and awareness. Those in the Diaspora are generally not aware of the many impactful organizations and modern heroes who are working to improve all facets of lives and communities in Jamaica. This in a nutshell is what motivated us to organize Give To Jamaica Week,” said Channer.

“And so we think there are hundreds of millions of dollars that if we create the right environment and the right relationship Jamaica could benefit from that, in addition to all the things that are being done. And that's a significant sum.”

Accountable

Trust has always been an issue in charitable donations worldwide. So, how will donors know that their dollars are going to the right organizations and being used for the good of the community?

“To take away any concerns about who is behind this, nobody on our team is involved with selecting charities to participate. We have set about engaging leading foundations operating in Jamaica, those who've been giving out grants for years, and we have solicited from them nomination of charities that they have vetted and or donated to over the last three years… We are supporting organizations that are structured, established, accountable to the government of Jamaica. They have been vetted,” Channer emphasized.

Additionally, said Channer, the Give to Jamaica Foundation does not take any funds from the donations. Once unavoidable third-party fees are paid, such as credit card processing fees, all donations go directly to the charities. Donations will be trackable on the website. And ultimately, the Foundation, and its auditors, will report and confirm when funds have been delivered to the charities in Jamaica. As well, funds will be treated in a way that allow for charitable treatment or tax deductibility subject to your taxes in the US.

With their motto — ‘One Week. One People. Many Charities’ — Give to Jamaica Week will be an annual charitable event around National Heroes Day, creating a cultural tradition around this special day for all Jamaicans. 

Visit the website to register your interest: givetojamaica.com