For nearly three decades, JAC has championed the Jamaican and Caribbean community in Connecticut through scholarships, service, and cultural celebration that bridges generations and borders.
Working alongside local partners and the American Friends of Jamaica, JAC is moving supplies, funds, and hands to the communities hit hardest. Every contribution turns directly into food, shelter materials, and medical aid on the ground.
Our work is organized around four enduring commitments to community, education, culture, and aid. Each pillar represents a promise we keep year after year, in good times and hard ones.
From soup kitchens to immigration forums, hands-on service is our foundation. We partner with local groups across New Haven and beyond to meet immediate needs.
Learn moreAnnual scholarships supporting Connecticut students of Caribbean descent pursuing higher education. Over $340,000 awarded since inception.
Apply nowThe annual gala, Independence Day celebrations, and heritage events that honor where we come from and bring the diaspora together.
See eventsWhen the islands need us, we move fast. Coordinated barrel drives, fundraising, and partnerships with on-the-ground organizations across Jamaica, Haiti, and Dominica.
Donate todayJAC was born in 1997 around a kitchen table in New Haven, founded by Jamaican Americans who saw the need for a place where culture, community, and care could intersect. What began as a small gathering has grown into a regional voice for the Caribbean diaspora.
Today we operate at the intersection of advocacy and action, working with municipal partners, immigration officials, schools, and on-the-ground partners across the islands. Our model is simple: stay rooted in community, move quickly when called, and keep the next generation at the center of everything we do.
From the annual gala to community service days, here's where you can find us next. Members receive priority registration and discounted tickets.
Reports from the ground, member spotlights, and dispatches from our partners across the diaspora.
What 72 hours of coordinated effort looked like, and the partners who made it possible.
Twelve first-generation college students whose journeys are just beginning.
How the team assembled and distributed 400+ care kits in a single afternoon.
"We are small, but we are mighty."
A Jamaican proverb. A promise we keep.
Open to high school seniors and current undergraduates of Caribbean descent residing in Connecticut. Awards range from $1,500 to $5,000 and are renewable for up to four years.