THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MARCH 20 - APRIL 19, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 6 Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer HAVING WITNESSED firsthand the needs of children in homes run by the Jamaican Government across the island, Gary Williams made a pledge to help those children 30 years ago OUT OF his efforts was born Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Incorporated, which has spent the intervening years bringing corporate sponsors and others together to provide assistance to state homes throughout the country. It all began for Williams in Islington, St Mary, where he was born. He moved to Kingston at a very early age and has little or no recollection of the town in which he was born. In Kingston he attended Holy Trinity High School and later St Georges College. On graduation, he worked in the travel industry. Having spent some time working with Alpha Boys’ Home he saw how the homes were run and the lack of resources going to them. He says that his volunteering at Alpha Boys’ Home gave him an insight into how children in state care were shortchanged. In 1988, he moved to the United States where he continued his career in the travel industry, working with British Airways. “I moved to the United States for a better life and for the opportunities that living in the United States offered,” he told The Gleaner. However, the lack of resources flowing to children in state care still weighed on him. He therefore started COJO Inc in 1995 with a commitment to invest in the future of children and support childcare institutions. “I like to do good and the opportunity came to me to give back to children in government care,”he explained. “COJO was founded to help those COJO honours eight at 30th anniversary gala Dr. Sandra L. Lindsay, vice president, Public Health Advocacy at Northwell Health receives the COJO Pioneer Award from then Jamaican Ambassador to the US Audrey Marks. This was among her final duties before demitting office to return to Jamaica where she was appointed to the Senate and then named Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation. Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Founder Gary M. Williams presents the 2025 COJO Humanitarian Award to Dr. Patricia V. Smith, entrepreneur, healthcare pioneer and philanthropist at the 30th Anniversary Scholarship Gala & Awards in Long Island, New York. Emcee for the evening was Javaughn Keyes, corporate communications manager at Sagicor Group Jamaica. Williams to build on organisation’s 30-year mission of aiding Jamaica’s young state wards most in need,” he said. Over the years Williams has been able to bring together sponsors drawn from corporate America as well as well-established Jamaican-owned businesses, both in the Diaspora and in Jamaica, to provide assistance to homes across the island. He singled out American companies such as JetBlue Airlines, which has become a main sponsor of COJO, consistently helping the organisation in its work. Among those who have also assisted COJO in its work are GraceKennedy, JN Group, Sandals International, Caribbean Foods Delight, Tower Isle’s, the Jamaica Tourist Board, and Dennis Shipping. Williams said that he has been able to attract corporate sponsorship because his organisation is transparent in what it does and sponsors are kept abreast of its work through packages sent to them showing what has been done. “We have a track record with our corporate sponsors,” he said. In 2012, COJO introduced scholarships as part of its outreach. Since then, some US$300,000 in scholarships has been given to students in government care to attend institutions such as the University of Technology, Mico University College, Shortwood Teachers’ College and Northern Caribbean University. Williams said that, in 2024, 15 scholarships valued at US$55,000 were given to students. The year before, 14 scholarships valued at US$50,000 were awarded. Homes have also been provided with much-needed equipment such as stoves, washing machines and dryers as well as refrigerators. COJO has even built a library at the Glenhope Place of Safety. The latest COJO fundraising effort was held Saturday night at the Fox Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, Long Island, New York. Eight persons were honoured at the event, including Dr Sandra Lindsay, Dr Patricia Smith, David Shields, Andrew Morris, Lorna Hawthorne, Marcia Skyers-James and Maurice and Allison Russell. Lindsay was presented with the Pioneer Award, Hawthorne the Visionary Award and Skyers-James the Distinguished Service Award. Of the other awardees, Shields was presented with the Visionary Award, Morris was presented with the Corporate Service Award, Smith the Humanitarian Award and Maurice and Allison Russell were presented with the Philanthropy Award. editorial@gleanerjm.com Gary Williams (centre), founder and chairman of Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO), with Audrey Marks (fourth left), Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States (US); Nick Perry (right), the former US ambassador to Jamaica; and honourees at COJO’s 3Oth anniversary Scholarship Gala and Awards held Saturday at the Fox Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, Long Island, New York. PHOTOS BY AJAMU
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