Public Health and Psychology programs' leadership headed up the trip
In July 2024, students and faculty in the Gwynedd Mercy University (GMU) graduate and undergraduate Public Health program, as well as Psychology program, traveled to Kingston, Jamaica to work with the “Mustard Seed” communities, an international nonprofit organization that provides care to vulnerable populations.
Participants in the program visited “Sophie’s Place” on day one of the trip, a children’s home operated by the Kingston Archdiocese. They also were able to visit The Devon House.
“It’s a big piece of land that was owned by Jamaica’s first black millionaire, and is now turned into this amazing community center where people come and hang out in the park,” said Dr. Maria Warnick, PhD, CRNP, NFP-BC, an assistant professor with the Public Health Program at GMU, on the team’s Instagram account. “They have this ice cream that is ranked like top five in the world.”
Students and staff took to social media channels all throughout the educational adventure to share their story with everyone back home. The trip’s second day featured a stop at the archdiocese-operated Jerusalem, which serves as both a children’s home and adult village with in the Mustard Seed community. There, volunteers from GMU taught classes for students.
Students led health education sessions with adolescent new mothers and teens living with HIV, including lessons on safe sex and prevention of STDs. Students had prepared their educational programs during the Public Health/Psychology program’s spring elective course, Promoting Global Health Through Service.
Photo courtesy of GMU
They addressed topics such as coping with and reducing stress, healthy relationships, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal and postnatal health, infant feeding, and child development.
The group visited Mary’s Child, an apostolate of Mustard Seed Communities, and were able to work with young mothers there, as well as take a tour of the facility and a chapel prayer time.
Another day of activities took the volunteers to Jacob’s Ladder where they were invited to celebrate an Emancipation Day mass.
“I really enjoyed the mass,” said Dr. Sharla Willis, DrPH, MPH, MA, CHES, the founding program director and assistant professor of the Public Health courses at GMU. “I was so excited about singing and participating in the mass. It was wonderful just to be able to worship with them.”
The team was also able to check out the beach in Fern Gully, Ocho Rios. Though the visit came with an unwanted visit of some rainy weather, it did also feature a festival!
“Festival bread is the best,” said Willis. The Jamaican fried dough was a hit amongst the travelers.
On the final day, students hosted a baby shower, giving gifts collected through the service project of Sigma Phi Sigma, the National Mercy Honor Society.
Students and faculty also worked with children with disabilities and other Jamaicans who made indelible impressions on them, and even found time to explore the culture and beauty of Jamaica.
For more on the trip, including the group’s images, visit https://www.gmercyu.edu/mercy-tradition/service/mission-trips/public-health-psychology-jamaica.
