Ambassador Sue Cobb, former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, and Keisha Phipps, Executive Director of the AFJ with Glenn Lawrence, CEO of Couples Resorts, who accepted  the cash award on behalf of the Issa Trust Foundation.

The American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Jamaican charitable and social initiatives provided cash grants totaling close to US$450,000 to some 40 local organizations at a ceremony held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at the Kingston residence of United States Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson.

The AFJ continues to make an impact on Jamaica’s development by strategically connecting resources from those with commercial, residential and personal connections to the island. Ambassador Johnson has said, “The work of the AFJ is extremely important for encouraging private sector philanthropy to engage in Jamaica. They have clearly shown the enormous potential of public-private partnerships to assist in development.”

Amongst the grantees, the MoBay Hope Medical Center and the University of the West Indies received student bursaries made possible by Amb. Glen Holden, Amb. Sue Cobb and Ralph and Ricky Lauren. Special AFJ projects such as Missionaries of the Poor and St. Catherine Vicariate received support for the Hurricane Dean Relief programs. Other organizations receiving financial grants included BREDS Treasure Beach Emergency Response Unit, Expanding Horizons Project, FISH, Jamaica Society for the Blind, Tennis Jamaica, Friends of Hopewell, Jamaica Association for Mental Retardation, Mustard Seed Charities and the Issa Trust Foundation.