About Us

Jamaica United Relief Association (JURA) was established a little over 25 years ago, by a group of civic minded Jamaicans, in Florida responding to the need for a Caribbean oriented service organization addressing the needs of the less fortunate, and immigrants in need of assistance in different areas, and to provide help in times of disasters, basically to give back to both the local communities and to Jamaica.

Joan Seaga-Gonzalez became the first President of JURA, serving for the first 21 years. This organization has grown from its humble beginnings to becoming a major charitable organization serving South Florida and the Caribbean. Its growth and service to the community is remarkable. Membership is open to all persons with a willingness to help others. JURA’s current membership includes people from all walks of life, professionals in most areas and at all levels. Over the years JURA has joined forces with various community organizations, Jamaican alumnae associations, and individuals, producing and co-hosting events, including the annual most important Fund raiser: The Premier Jamaica Independence Ball. One of those partnerships incorporated Members Only Social Club of Miami (MOSCM), an organization founded in 1996 with the same ideals and similar aims and objectives of JURA. MOSCM, hosted a number of occasions for many years in collaborated with JURA. The inevitable took place in March of 2007, JURA and MOSCM merged as one and elected Hugh ‘Ossie” Osborne, a founding member of MOSCM as President of the new JURA, Hugh served for two consecutive terms.

Through the years, JURA has raised funds which has provided goods, material, school supplies, medical equipment, housing materials, and has underwritten community outreach programs, assisted with medical and burial expenses, for various families and individuals, Provided scholarships and tuition fees for deserving and needy individuals, resulting in the over one million US dollars (US$1,000,000) of assistance to the Caribbean and local communities, provided by JURA in the last few years.

Recipients including: The workshop at the West Indies Polio Rehab Center, Kingston Public Hospital, The Bustamante Children’s Hospital, Marigold Child Care Center, St. Andrew Parish Church Home for Girls, Lighthouse Holiness Church of God, Mustard Seed Communities, Jamaica Aids Support, Good Shepherd Foundation’s Aids Hospice, Children First (Spanish Town), The African American Library & Research Center, Broward County Library, Children Christmas Programs, Wesley Academy, Viewpoint Child Care, Helping Hands, Silent Hill Assembly of God, Grenada disaster relief, New Orleans Katrina Relief efforts, Assistance to various outreach to Haiti and the Bahamas and victims of Hurricane and other disasters.

JURA’s most recent project was a fundraiser Black tie dinner, and a Family Day Park event in honor of the Jamaican Olympic teams, fantastic performances and victories in Beijing 2008. With the support of businesses, various alumnae associations and local government bodies in South Florida, including the Cities of Lauderhill ,Lauderdale Lakes. Members of the Olympic team, accompanied by their managers and President of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) attended the gala events in South Florida, JURA was able to donate JA$1,000,000 to the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) in 2008 to assist in the development and the enhancement of the athletic programs in Jamaica.

JURA welcomes your individual contributions and or corporate donations and sponsorship.