One Grandmother’s Legacy, 20 Years of Giving Back to Jamaica

Later this month, Kingston-born Nyocca Farquharson will board a plane to Jamaica carrying suitcases filled with backpacks, notebooks and pencils — along with more than two decades of a promise she made in memory of her grandmother.

Nyocca Farquharson

On August 28, 2026, Farquharson’s nonprofit, Daisy Homes Incorporated, will host its annual Back-to-School Drive, distributing school supplies to children across four Jamaican communities: Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, Montego Bay and Kingston. Families have been known to travel from as far as Portland to attend the Kingston event — a testament to how far Daisy Homes’ reputation has traveled, one act of kindness at a time.

A Grandmother’s Legacy

The organization’s story begins with loss. When Ms. Daisy Sweeney died on November 6, 2004, her eldest grandchild felt an unshakable pull to keep her spirit alive through service.

“My most fond memories of my grandmother were her BIG heart, unlimited generosity, and her need to give back to her community,” Farquharson says.

Rather than let that generosity fade into memory, she founded Daisy Homes Incorporated that same year, building the organization around a philosophy she describes simply: “I am my sister’s keeper.”

For Farquharson, honoring her grandmother isn’t a one-time tribute — it’s a daily practice.

“Every meal served, every backpack donated, every toy given, and every life touched reflects the love and compassion she shared with others,” she explains. “Daisy Homes Inc. is more than a nonprofit organization — it is a living tribute to my grandmother’s life.”

She believes Ms. Sweeney would recognize her own values in the work today.

“I believe she would be touched to see that her name has become a symbol of hope, compassion, and service for so many people,” Farquharson says. “This is exactly what love in action looks like.”

From Jamaica to the U.S. — and Back Again

Many might assume Daisy Homes started in the United States and later expanded to Jamaica. In fact, it was the opposite.

The organization’s first outreach event — a toy drive — took place in Jamaica in December 2004, shortly after Ms. Sweeney’s burial.

“I have strong ties to Jamaica, and I knew there were many children, families, and elderly individuals facing challenges similar to those we were addressing in the U.S.,” Farquharson says. “Jamaica holds a special place in my heart, and I wanted to give back to the communities that have shaped so many lives.”

That early commitment has grown into a steady slate of programs on the island, including back-to-school drives, toy drives, homeless feeding initiatives, food-bag distributions and a snack drive for children at Carmel Early Childhood Development Center.

Answering the Call After Hurricane Melissa

No chapter of Daisy Homes’ work in Jamaica has tested — or defined — the organization more than its response to Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall on October 28, 2025.

The date carried painful significance for Farquharson personally; it is also her late father’s birthday.

“While processing that, I was watching the hurricane in Jamaica,” she recalls. “My heart was heavy and aching for our country, and for our fellow Jamaicans affected.”

Although she was not on the ground herself, Daisy Homes volunteers were there, documenting the devastation and the needs of affected communities.

In response, Farquharson launched a fundraising effort and partnered with KAPLAND Building Solutions to purchase zinc roofing, screws, water, toiletries, diapers, sanitary napkins, nonperishable food and clothing for families in Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth.

Local Member of Parliament Pearnel Charles Jr. helped coordinate distribution, while Floyd O’Brien Green guided volunteers through hard-hit areas of St. Elizabeth to ensure supplies reached the people who needed them most.

“Even in our pain, I know this to be true: in unity, we will rise again,” Farquharson says.

Fighting Period Poverty, One Girl at a Time

Among Daisy Homes’ most personal initiatives is its fight against period poverty — a mission born from a single moment of noticing.

During a back-to-school drive, Farquharson spotted a normally bubbly young girl sitting alone and withdrawn. She pulled her aside to ask what was wrong. That conversation became the seed of the organization’s Period Poverty Initiative.

“No girl should have to miss school or lose her confidence because she cannot afford basic menstrual products,” Farquharson says.

The initiative now provides sanitary supplies and menstrual health education to girls across the communities served by Daisy Homes.

Last year, during the back-to-school drive at John Austin All Ages School in Pennants, Clarendon, the organization went a step further, leaving extra boxes of sanitary napkins with the school’s guidance counselor for students who might need them throughout the year.

Two Decades, One Mission

Balancing a full-time job with running a nonprofit isn’t easy. Farquharson’s days often begin with gratitude and end with packing donations or meeting with volunteers well into the evening.

But more than 20 years in, she says the reward never diminishes.

“There is nothing more fulfilling than watching a child smile because they have the school supplies they need,” she says.

Looking ahead, Farquharson hopes to establish a permanent community resource center in Jamaica — a single location where families can access food, clothing, school supplies and life-skills programs.

It is an ambitious vision, but one rooted in a simple belief she shares with anyone considering starting their own charitable work:

“Don’t wait until everything is perfect — just start with a heart to serve.”

For Farquharson, the Jamaica trip this August is simply the latest chapter in a story that began with grief and grew into a movement — one backpack, one meal and one act of kindness at a time.