About Us

The Vera May Foundation was created to address a quiet but growing reality: love can travel across borders, but presence cannot.

Families leave home in pursuit of opportunity, often building lives in places like the United States while remaining deeply connected to loved ones in Jamaica. They provide financial support, maintain regular contact, and visit when possible. Yet even the most consistent effort cannot replace the value of regular, in-person connection.

This work is grounded in lived experience.

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 — she chose 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.

These stories are not unique. They are unfolding every day across Jamaica. Elders are not forgotten — they are loved from a distance that limits how that love can be expressed.

The Vera May Foundation exists to bridge that gap.

Through structured volunteer engagement, local partnerships, and practical support services, the Foundation provides consistent, compassionate human connection for 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.

The Foundation serves as an extension of families who would be present if geography allowed.

Named in honor of Vera and Miss May — two women who embodied quiet, faithful service — the organization carries forward their legacy by doing for others what they once did so freely themselves: showing up.

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 simply because the people who love them live far away.

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.

The Vera May Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity · EIN: 39-2951016 · Incorporated in Georgia · Operating offices in South Carolina.