Share Joy International’s mission is to connect people to people within the communities of the tri-state area and Haiti, for the purpose of providing food, shelter and clothing to those in need; creating a thriving culture of giving, sharing and caring….bringing joy to all.

Share Joy International (SJI) started with the participation of founders, isabel and Jonathan Chase, in an event called Share Day in Spanish Harlem. The Chases hoped to expose their own teenage children to the many hardships encountered by city residents that they do not see living in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Around the same time, they were visiting Isabel’s old church down in Brooklyn and heard Bonite Affriany speak of the center that she had been operating for about a year or two, at that point, in Jacmel, Haiti. The Chases introduced themselves to her and a friendship was started.

A number of years later, as SJI was taking shape helping those in New York City and the tri-state area, the Chases identified supporting Haiti as a priority, thus making SJI a global organization. The concept of helping those in need, through SJI, was formed. With this most recent disaster, SJI has become a point of contact for the many that seek to help the earthquake’s victims.

Locally, Share Joy International has been reaching out to help many in need in the tri-state area for about three years now. From single moms just trying to get back on their feet, to families who have lost everything due to a fire, to their “Sponsor a Family” program during the Christmas holiday, the programs continue to evolve. The stories are many and the needs are great and local. SJI generally finds furniture, clothing, shoes, etc. that are donated and helps those that are in need of these items. They collaborate efforts with others throughout NY, including Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, as well as in NJ and throughout CT.

With the onset of the disaster in Haiti, SJI is well positioned to garner the generosity of their supporters and fill direct needs on the ground in Jacmel, Haiti, continuing to build on its efforts to serve those in need globally.