A heart that never left home

WESTERN BUREAU:

Each summer, in the quiet hills of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, the sound of dominoes slapping against a wooden table mingles with the aroma of curry goat, roast breadfruit, and jerk chicken.

It is not a festival. It is not a fundraiser in the traditional sense. It is simply called ‘Vibes in the Poconos’, a labour of love created by a man whose heart has never left Montego Bay.

Anthony ‘Tony’ Turner, 68, has lived in the United States for 34 years. But no matter how far he is from the shores of Jamaica, his spirit remains deeply connected to the people of his homeland, especially those in need.

“I may not be there physically,” Turner said softly, “but I’ve never stopped caring. Jamaica is home.”

A respected accountant by profession, Turner began his career in Jamaica working with the Legal Aid offices before migrating to the United States in 1991. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting before going on to build a successful career in the US until his recent retirement.

Yet, despite his professional achievements abroad, it is his work in service to others, quietly and consistently, that defines his legacy.

Every year since 2017, Turner has hosted ‘Vibes in the Poconos’, a free gathering where he serves authentic Jamaican meals from sunrise to sundown, breakfast featuring ackee and saltfish, mackerel run dung, dinner plates heaped with chicken, pork, seafood, rice and peas. However, behind the music, laughter, and full bellies is a deeper mission: every staging of the event raises funds for a Jamaican charity called Sarah’s Children.

The non-profit supports vulnerable individuals, especially women and children, through emergency assistance, shelter rebuilding, and healthcare access. Turner’s contributions have helped a woman in Mount Salem rebuild after losing everything to a fire, and more recently, provided financial aid to women battling cancer.

The support has not gone unnoticed.

Georgette Simms, who lost her home in Crawford Street, Mount Salem, three years ago, told The Gleaner that she would not have been able to rebuild without the early intervention of Sarah’s Children and Turner.

GRATEFUL FOR DONATION

“The bags of cement, the toilet bowl and blocks, which were among the first contributions I received, were what gave me hope,” she said, her voice steady with gratitude. “I couldn’t afford the windows and doors on my own.”

For Stacy-Ann Gordon*, who is battling breast cancer, a condition that has metastasised, the assistance came at a time when her world was crumbling.

“The disease has taken everything I have and will continue to take what I don’t have,” Gordon lamented. “But when someone like Mr Turner reaches across the ocean to help me, it reminds me I’m not forgotten.”

Turner doesn’t ask for much, just that his guests bring a donation, no matter how small. “It’s not about how much,” he insisted. “It’s about the heart.”

That heart has been his compass since his early days in Montego Bay, where he founded Defenders United Football Club to give idle boys in the community purpose and pride. “I’d see them all dressed up with nowhere to go,” he recalled. “So I created something they could belong to.”

That same spirit of inclusion and upliftment fuels Vibes in the Poconos. The event, now approaching its ninth staging, draws people from Jamaica, Trinidad, Turks and Caicos, other states such as New York, Maryland, and Florida. Others hear about it through friends. But all come for the same reason: to share good vibes and help someone in need.

“Robert’s gathering isn’t just about food or fun,” said a longtime guest. “It’s about love. You feel it in every bite, every song, every hug.”

For Turner, it’s also about legacy.

“I want people to know that you can be far away and still make a difference,” he said. “Giving back isn’t about where you are. It’s about who you are.”

And who Robert Turner is, above all else, is a man who never forgot where he came from and who keeps finding new ways to give back.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com