It is with pleasure and humility that I write this message as the newly-elected President of the Jamaica Nurse’s Group of New York, Inc. (JNGNYI). November 2012 marked this organization’s 50th Anniversary.
Despite challenges over the years, the group strived to maintain its objectives.
As president, it is my responsibility to inspire the membership to participate and to support the advancement of our mission. We will work assiduously to promote health education and increase community awareness of health issues. We will provide scholarships to nursing students meeting the criteria as set forth by the organization. And we will continue to foster camaraderie among Jamaican nurses internationally.
Our current motto, “Caring at Home and Abroad,” has taken this organization to another level of community involvement. Thanks to my predecessor, Claudette Powell, who worked relentlessly to foster partnerships with the Jamaican North East Diaspora/ health sector and with the Organization for Strategic Development in Jamaica (OSDJ) to improve healthcare in Jamaica. Being cognizant of our motto, I will endeavor to create feasible measures to assist the Kingston Public Hospital in Jamaica, West lndies, which the organization has adopted.
I am very optimistic that with committed members the mission and objectives of JNGNYI will survive another 50 years.
To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”