GoodHeart | Come Alive aims to bring Clifton boys back home

Almost one year later, the devastation left behind by Hurricane Melissa continues to affect the boys of Clifton Boys’ Home. The storm tore through the facility, ripping roofs from the main buildings and sending water into dormitories, laundry facilities, staff quarters and other critical areas. After a few weeks, the boys were moved to temporary housing for their safety. For Kaydeen Miles-Campbell, manager of Clifton Boys’ Home, the destruction of the buildings was devastating. More difficult still was seeing the boys uprooted from the place they called home.
“The most heartbreaking impact was on the boys,” she told GoodHeart. “They had to be relocated to temporary housing for their safety, which disrupted their routine, schooling, and sense of stability. The home that was once their safe place is now in urgent need of repair so they can come back home.”
That return is now part of the mission of Come Alive - A National Call to Worship, hosted by the Come Alive Collective. The national worship experience, which drew more than 15,000 patrons to the East Lawn of King’s House last year for its landmark staging with CeCe Winans, is returning this year with charity again at its centre. The Westmoreland-based home is among the 2026 beneficiaries of the event, which returns to the East Lawn of King’s House on Emancipation Day, August 1.
According to Eric Hosin, chairman and executive event producer of the Come Alive Collective, beneficiaries are selected based on the urgency of need, the credibility of the organisation, and the potential for the support to create meaningful impact in the lives of Jamaicans. 
Clifton Boys’ Home stood out this year not only because of the severe damage it sustained during Hurricane Melissa, but also because of its long-standing commitment to providing care, guidance and stability for boys in need.
“The home was badly impacted by the hurricane, but beyond the physical damage, we are also looking at the lives of the boys being shaped there. Our boys are at risk, and institutions like Clifton have been doing meaningful work for many years to guide, protect, and positively impact them. They have a good track record, and Come Alive wants to support that effort,” Hosin said.
The home needs new roofs for the main dormitory building and the annex, which houses the laundry, staff quarters, isolation unit and the manager’s office. Beds and mattresses damaged by wind and water also need to be replaced, while repairs, repainting and basic supplies are needed to make the compound safe, healthy and livable again.
“Until the roof is fixed, we cannot fully bring the boys back,” Miles-Campbell explained. “These repairs are the foundation for everything else.”
The donation from Come Alive will support those critical restoration efforts. “This means the boys can return to safe, dry, and dignified housing as quickly as possible,” she added.
CHARITABLE GIVING
Beyond the worship experience itself, Come Alive serves as a platform for charitable giving. Last year’s staging, held as More Than This, generated $30.25 million in charitable support, with $29.25 million allocated directly to local beneficiaries. The largest allocation, $17 million, went to the Bustamante Hospital for Children to purchase a phacoemulsification machine for its Ophthalmology Unit. The machine has since been purchased and formally handed over to the hospital, strengthening its ability to provide specialised eye care for children. 
Other allocations included $3 million to the Governor-General’s Programme for Excellence, $3 million to Students Christian Fellowship and Scripture Union, $2 million to the Open Door Jamaica Foundation, $2 million to Yadel Home for Children, and $1 million to Food For The Poor Jamaica as a special emergency allocation in response to Hurricane Melissa. Additional public donation support was also mobilised through GraceKennedy Financial Group and the GK One app.
It is the record of impact that adds weight to this year’s appeal. Come Alive is inviting Jamaicans to partner with this year’s causes as 100 per cent of net proceeds will again go to charity. Alongside Clifton Boys’ Home, this year’s beneficiaries include the Governor-General’s Programme for Excellence, the Bustamante Hospital for Children’s Ophthalmology Unit, Open Door Jamaica Foundation, and Students Christian Fellowship and Scripture Union.
For Miles-Campbell, the selection represents more than assistance. It is a reminder that the boys have a community standing behind them.  
“It means our community sees the boys of Clifton, remembers them, and is standing with us in this rebuilding season,” she added.
Internationally renowned worship leader Michael W. Smith will headline the worship experience, joined by Papa San, Jermaine Edwards, Johnmark Wiggan, Petra-Kaye and HUMBLE. The event will also feature a special pre-show package with Audience of One and the top four finalists in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s Jamaica Gospel Star Competition. Gates open at 2 p.m.
goodheart@gleanerjm.com