Burn victims and vulnerable communities across Jamaica will receive much-needed assistance following the official launch of the Crisis Support Charity and Burn Foundation of Jamaica, which was inaugurated on Saturday at the AC Hotel in Kingston.

Founded by brothers Stephen and Luke Josephs, the foundation aims to provide critical assistance to underserved groups facing various hardships. At the launch, the organisation received a significant donation of $1 million from Grocery List Jamaica, a company that helps members of the diaspora purchase groceries for loved ones in Jamaica.

“Me and my brother, Luke Joseph, decided that we’re going to go full on with this project. Currently we’re working with some ladies who we have to integrate back into high school. Eleven of them are pregnant and have babies. And so we say to them, it’s not a full stop, it’s a redirection. And so we’re giving them support. We have partners in the diaspora who’s helping us to help, giving them a second chance at life. And doing these things make us very happy,” said Stephen Josephs.

He added that the donation from Grocery List will help further the charity’s mission significantly.

“It will actually go a far way into the vision that we’re doing in terms of feeding our nation, especially single mothers or persons that really need these types of care. Care packages and stuff like that. So, yeah, it’s good,” added Luke Josephs. “Currently, we’re working on several projects as well. One of these projects, which you will see, we get more information. This is actually a passion for us, transforming lives, restoring dignity and promoting well-being in crisis situations. We’re not just helping children, we’re helping families, we’re helping communities.”

(From left) Stephen Josephs, co-founder and president of Crisis Support Charity and Burn Foundation; Sherr Graham, director of Graham Sisters Foundation; Nurse Indiana Mclead- Whitehorne of Victoria Jubliee Hospital; Dr Clayton Kelly of Victoria Jubliee Hospital; and Luke Josephs, co-founder of the foundation at the organisation’s launch on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Tamika Stewart, people lead with Grocery List Jamaica Group, noted that the company’s decision to contribute was driven by shared values and cultural ties.

“The founders of Grocery List Jamaica, Rory Richards and Jermaine Morgan, they met Mr Joseph in Florida. He reached out to them and told them what he was doing. And they decided that they wanted to partner primarily because even though Grocery List does have a connection here in Jamaica, it’s an online platform that offers people in the diaspora, that’s the UK, Canada, and the US, to purchase grocery items for their friends and family here in Jamaica and have the orders fulfilled here in Jamaica and delivered here. So it’s a company that is created by Jamaicans for Jamaicans,” Stewart said.

“I could say it’s about corporate responsibility, but I think for this one it goes a little bit deeper than that. Because both companies have that foundation in believing in the overall kingdom mandate that we’re to help. And so we’re excited about that,” she added.

The Graham Sisters Foundation also donated $190,000 to the Victoria Jubilee Hospital to assist with furnishing its maternal fetal medicine clinic.

“It will help furnish our maternal fetal medicine clinic—we use it for counselling our patients. Whether it is private, a conference call or meetings, so pretty much it is for counselling,” said Dr Clayon Kelly, consultant obstetrician-gynecologist at the hospital.

David Brown, who delivered remarks on behalf of Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, commended the work of the Josephs brothers and emphasised the importance of the foundation’s efforts.

“Burn victims in particular are at a significant risk as affected patients often require repeated surgical interventions and years of rehabilitation, leading to both physical and psychological scarring that necessitates long-term counseling. These injuries impose the highest financial burden on trauma cases on both the patients and the nation,” he said

“Indeed, according to the Ministry of Health data, over 1,300 burn patients annually go to emergency rooms and local healthcare facilities around the island and require significant levels of healthcare delivery. These individuals, who constitute a discrete demographic of the patient profile in Jamaica, are those who currently receive significant assistance from the charity and the Burn Foundation. Their efforts are, therefore, to be applauded and indeed encouraged,” he continued.

During the foundation’s media launch, a series of programmes were outlined designed to address the needs of underserved Jamaicans.

This includes Healing Hands which focuses on youth social development and adult literacy for the most vulnerable; Little Miracles, Big Dreams which supports pregnant teenagers through maternal and paternal care and legacy planning; One Step to Your Possibilities which provides essential medical supplies and mobility aids; and A Plate Full of Love that aims to ensure food security and balanced nutrition through strategic partnerships.

Additional initiatives such as STEM Smiles, in collaboration with the University of Technology, offer affordable dental care to underserved communities, while the flagship From the Ashes of Phoenix Will Rise programme embodies the foundation’s commitment to provide recovery support to burn victims.