CVSS calls for more investment to strengthen volunteer sector

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Chair of the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS), Kerry Scott, is calling for greater investment in training, technology and partnerships to strengthen the sector's capacity to respond to future emergencies and support national development. He was addressing the CVSS's biennial National Volunteer Conference, held recently, at the AC Hotel in Kingston, under the theme, 'Crisis to Capacity: Building a Future-Ready Volunteer Ecosystem for a Resilient Jamaica'. According to a release from CVSS, Scott said that while Jamaican volunteers had consistently demonstrated compassion, solidarity and a willingness to serve, particularly during times of crisis, the country must move beyond spontaneous responses towards a more coordinated, strategic and sustainable approach to volunteerism. "Volunteers must never be seen as additional hands to support emergency responses or community programmes. They are valuable allies in national development," he said, noting that volunteers bring innovation, professional expertise and an understanding of the communities they serve. He stressed that building a resilient volunteer ecosystem would require young people and professionals to be actively engaged, while ensuring that volunteers are adequately trained, supported and protected. Scott said that the response to Hurricane Melissa also highlighted the important role of civil society organisations in mobilising volunteers and connecting community resources with the wider national disaster response. Through its National Volunteer Centre, he said CVSS serves as a coordinator, collaborator and communicator, facilitating connections among volunteers, community-based organisations, government agencies, international humanitarian partners and the private sector. "The experience of Hurricane Melissa also reinforced the importance of community-based organisations, churches and grassroots networks, whose longstanding relationships with communities provide invaluable local knowledge and help identify vulnerable households and emerging needs," he said. Strengthening these partnerships, he noted, will be essential to ensuring that volunteer resources are effectively utilised across disaster preparedness, emergency response, recovery and rebuilding. Delivering his remarks at the conference, Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr underscored the critical contribution of volunteers to Jamaica's recovery following Hurricane Melissa, particularly in reaching vulnerable individuals and communities. He said the Government could not have achieved its target of providing assistance to 20,000 persons without their support. "Our volunteers help to connect public services with the reality of the lives of those that have been impacted, bringing local knowledge that makes assistance easier to reach and drawing the attention of responsible agencies to the need that might otherwise go unseen," he said. Minister Charles Jr pointed out that those requiring particular attention included elderly persons living alone, persons with disabilities who could not reach distribution points and families cut off by damaged roadways. He said the mobilisation of approximately 9,000 volunteers through the CVSS network during the first week of the hurricane response demonstrated the country's strong spirit of service. About 2,000 of those volunteers had registered before the storm. Meanwhile, addressing the gathering, Erin Mai Jarrett, Public Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy in Kingston, reaffirmed the United States' commitment to supporting Jamaica's resilience-building efforts. She noted that the United States had mobilised almost US$25 million in assistance following Hurricane Melissa, while American military personnel, working alongside the Jamaica Defence Force, completed more than 100 relief flights, transporting more than 700,000 pounds of essential supplies and equipment. Jarrett said the hurricane response demonstrated the value of international partnerships but stressed that resilience must be established long before disasters occur. "Resilience is not built in the middle of a crisis. It is built through preparation, partnerships, and people we invest in to support it," she said. She also highlighted the importance of engaging young people in volunteerism, noting that their energy, fresh ideas and technological skills could help address long-standing community challenges. The conference also had interactive Action Labs which brought together representatives of government, civil society, community organisations and development partners to identify practical priorities for strengthening Jamaica's national volunteer system. Discussions focused on three areas: building national volunteer infrastructure; strengthening coordination, standards and institutional capacity; and leveraging data, innovation and youth leadership. Participants emphasised the importance of volunteer registration, skills mapping, training, safeguarding and effective deployment, alongside stronger partnerships with community-based organisations, churches and grassroots networks. Scott said CVSS will consolidate the recommendations into a post-conference outcomes report for sharing with key stakeholders, including the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, to help inform the development of a more coordinated, inclusive and sustainable national volunteer framework that supports both disaster response and year-round community development.