Adults with Disabilities
Children with Disabilities
Shelter
For the nearly 700 individuals living with disabilities in the care of Mustard Seed Communities worldwide, our cottages, roads, classrooms, gardens, and chapels are much more than places to pass time – they are sanctuaries filled with love, comfort, and belonging.
They are home.
At MSC, care is not a task completed from a distance; it’s a mission carried out with heartfelt compassion. We embrace each person’s dignity, passions, and abilities with open arms, ensuring that every individual is nurtured physically, mentally, and spiritually. This holistic approach transforms our communities into havens where those from vulnerable backgrounds are empowered to thrive.
How does Mustard Seed Communities cultivate spaces like this? We outlined three reasons why residents feel at home:
1. At our core, we are a community.
Across MSC’s apostolates, buildings are spread among grassy fields and pathways, creating a close-knit village atmosphere. To start their morning, residents sitting on their front porches offer warm smiles and waves. Women may navigate their wheelchairs side by side, eager to share the highlights of their days. Meanwhile, a child might eagerly grasp a visitor’s hand to show off a new toy.
Structuring our apostolates this way empowers friendships and encourages social activities. Caregivers at MSC are able to organize circle time, group Mass, crafting activities, field days, and more because of the freedom and simplicity of our villages.
Relationships are the engine of MSC’s apostolates, uplifting friends and neighbors like one family. Each part is unique and essential: residents, caregivers, staff, and mission volunteers from all around the world. Caring connections drive the sense of community, ensuring that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Just as an engine powers a vehicle, these bonds propel the daily life and spirit of the community forward. Together, they create a supportive and nurturing environment where every individual can thrive.
2. We empower growth and development for the whole person.
While providing life’s essentials, like shelter, food, water, and clothing, is a cornerstone of our mission, we believe that true well-being encompasses mental and emotional health too.
At Mustard Seed Communities, we care for the whole person, mind and soul. Residents engage in activities that foster creativity and unleash growth, such as arts and crafts, reading, athletics, and more. Spiritual nourishment is woven into the fabric of residents’ lives, offered through opportunities for reflection, prayer, and connection with their faith. For the family at MSC—residents, volunteers, and caregivers alike—sharing what’s in our minds and hearts is just as impactful as sharing resources.
3. We care for the residents for life.
MSC is dedicated to ensuring that no individual is abandoned twice. That means once someone arrives seeking care and shelter from MSC, they are welcome to stay for their entire life.
This commitment to lifelong stability supports long-term emotional and developmental growth that is difficult to find elsewhere. In Jamaica, there is a significant need for care dedicated to adults with mental and physical disabilities, since no facilities exist for them after they turn 18. In addition to multiple apostolates for infants and children living with disabilities, MSC’s Jacob’s Ladder is where almost 200 adults with disabilities find community, purpose, and dignity for the remainder of their lives.
At home at MSC, you can be sure that hope is always available. Enfolded in a safe shelter with food, safety, medical care, and friends who grow alongside each other, residents find a physical home and enduring sense of home that lasts.
It’s because of the support of our one MSC Family that children and adults with disabilities who have been abandoned find their home – one that will abide with them for life.
Join our mission so we can continue our efforts for years to come.