Built on Love. Driven by Legacy.
About Us
The Vera May Foundation was created to address a growing and serious reality facing older adults: social isolation. As family structures shift, communities change, and the people who once provided daily connection grow fewer, many elders find themselves cut off from the regular human contact that sustains health, dignity, and a sense of belonging.
Social isolation among older adults is now recognised as a public health concern with real consequences for cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, and physical health. The need for consistent, dependable presence has never been greater.
The Vera May Foundation responds to this need through structured volunteer engagement, community partnerships, and practical support services that bring consistent, compassionate human connection to older adults. The goal is not only to meet basic needs, but to preserve dignity, restore social engagement, and ensure that elders remain visible and valued within their communities.
What began as a response to one family's experience has grown into a foundation that works alongside community organisations already serving elders, supplementing their work with the resources and structure needed to sustain it. The model is built on a simple conviction: that meaningful change happens when those closest to the work are supported, not replaced.
Named in honor of Vera and Miss May, two women who embodied a lifetime of faithful service, the organization carries forward their legacy by doing for others what they once did so freely themselves: showing up
Vera spent her life serving her community in Jamaica. In her eighties, after years of living in the United States, she made a deliberate and deeply meaningful decision to return home to Jamaica to live out her final years. Her family honored that decision with care, coordination, and frequent visits from abroad. Over time, however, the limits of distance became evident.
As Vera’s mobility declined, so did her ability to remain actively engaged in the community she had faithfully served. Church attendance became difficult. Social interaction became infrequent. Though she was supported, she experienced increasing isolation; a gap that love alone could not fully bridge from afar.
Miss May’s experience reflects the same pattern. A devoted churchwoman who once walked from home to home visiting others, she now finds herself on the receiving end of that absence.
Visits are rare. Community engagement has diminished. What remains most meaningful are the moments when someone reaches out: a call, a message, a reminder that she is still seen and valued.
Our Mission
To reduce social isolation among older adults in Jamaica by fostering consistent human connection through community-driven support, volunteer engagement, and culturally grounded care.
Our Vision
A Jamaica where no elder is left to experience life in isolation, where every older adult remains seen, supported, and meaningfully connected to the community they helped build.
Why This Matters
Social isolation among older adults is a significant public health concern, linked to increased risk of chronic illness, cognitive decline, and reduced quality of life.
By supporting the Vera May Foundation, donors and volunteers help transform care from occasional contact into consistent connection, ensuring that elders remain seen, supported, and meaningfully connected to the communities they helped build.
VMF Founding Leadership
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The Vera May Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity · EIN: 39-2951016 · Incorporated in Georgia, with operations in South Carolina.