A regular visitor to Jamaica as a child, Kaysia Earley says those trips made a lasting impression on her. When she started the Seeds Of Manna organisation over one year ago, giving back to her father’s homeland became one of its priorities.

An American attorney based in South Florida, Earley’s latest contribution took place in June in the Martha Brae region of Trelawny, where she has a home. Residents in that area received care packages which were issued by her team.

“Long before any natural disasters made international headlines, I founded Seeds of Manna because I believe service should never be conditional on what you have, rather on a heart for service,” Earley told Observer Online. “For years, our nonprofit has collected and shipped donations from Florida to Jamaica, distributing them throughout all 14 parishes.”

She added that Seeds Of Manna has partnered with schools, churches, sports clubs, and community organisations “to meet their specific needs, whether that means classroom supplies, sporting equipment, medical items, clothing, or food”.

Most of Seeds Of Manna’s charity work is done in collaboration with the God’s Way Assembly Church, in Lilliput, St James. It recently established ties with the Humble Lions Football Club which it will assist with gear and equipment.

Born in New York to a Jamaican father and American mother, Earley and her seven siblings were raised to appreciate his country’s heritage. That included summer visits to Jamaica.

A graduate of Howard University and Morgan State University, Earley is principal of the Earley Law Firm, located in Plantation, a South Florida city with a large Jamaican community. That company specialises in personal injury, criminal defence and expungement.

She is currently campaigning to represent Florida’s 22nd Congressional District in the United States Congress. Her opponent in the Democratic primary on August 18 is Pia Dandiya.

“While campaigning, service has never taken a back seat. Although election day is August 18, I’ve traveled to Jamaica twice since June to ensure donated supplies were received, cleared through customs, and delivered to the communities that need them most,” said Earley. “That’s simply who I am. Public service isn’t something I started because I became a candidate, it is how I have lived my life.”