The importance of community, partnership, and shared responsibility took centre stage last Thursday at Community Connect 2026 as corporate leaders, development partners, philanthropists, and child advocates gathered at the AC Hotel Kingston to celebrate efforts to ensure that children grow up in safe and supportive family environments.Hosted by SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica, the annual event recognised the contributions of long-standing supporters while encouraging new partnerships to strengthen services for children and families across the island.Jason Brown, former village director of SOS Children’s Village Stony Hill and now alternative care manager at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), said communities play a critical role in helping children thrive.“Community is not simply where we live,” Brown said. “It is the people who choose to care, to support, and to create opportunities for children to thrive. Tonight is about strengthening those connections and inviting even more partners to become part of that journey.”Sean Patrick, fund development and communications adviser at SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica, highlighted the organisation’s achievements over the past year while reflecting on its response to Hurricane Melissa.He described the hurricane as one of the organisation’s most significant operational challenges in recent years, requiring the relocation of families, assessment of damaged homes, and ongoing support for children and caregivers.“One of the greatest lessons Hurricane Melissa reinforced is that resilience is never built during a disaster. It is built long before one arrives through strong communities and trusted partnerships,” Patrick said. “Because of the incredible support of our donors, corporate partners, and volunteers, we were able not only to respond immediately but to begin rebuilding lives almost as soon as the storm had passed.”Looking beyond disaster recovery, Patrick said the organisation is placing greater emphasis on strengthening families and communities before crises occur.“Our vision extends well beyond our villages,” he said. “We are investing in programmes that strengthen families, empower communities, and create sustainable support systems so children can remain where they belong whenever possible – with their families. By 2029, our goal is to positively impact more than 1,000 children annually through prevention, restoration, and community-based programmes that create lasting change.”He noted that initiatives such as YouthRise have helped advance that goal, providing educational support to hundreds of children following Hurricane Melissa through the rapid redeployment of resources to affected communities.SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica also partnered with schools in some of the hardest-hit areas, installing water tanks, strengthening infrastructure, and helping students return to the classroom with the resources needed to continue their education.Throughout the evening, speakers emphasised that community is defined not by geography but by a shared commitment to supporting vulnerable families, particularly during times of crisis. Stories of caregivers, volunteers, and community members working together after Hurricane Melissa underscored the resilience of Jamaican communities and the organisation’s mission to ensure that every child grows up with stability, care, and hope.A highlight of the event was the premiere of a documentary chronicling the experiences of families affected by Hurricane Melissa.Produced by Kingston-based multimedia storyteller and documentary film-maker Ina Sotirova, the film captured the experiences of children, caregivers, and communities rebuilding after the storm.Sotirova, a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, has more than 15 years of international media experience across the Caribbean, Europe, Central America, and West Africa. Her work has appeared on BBC platforms and in Reuters, The Guardian and GEO Magazine, while her documentaries have earned international recognition.Reflecting on the project, Sotirova said storytelling can help foster understanding and inspire action.“I’ve always believed the stories that matter most are the ones that help us better understand one another,” she said. “What moved me most about SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica was not simply the devastation these families experienced but the extraordinary resilience they demonstrated and the community that rallied around them. I hope this film encourages people to recognise that every one of us has the ability to make a meaningful difference in a child’s life.”