When Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica in late October, 1199 members immediately began making plans to help those affected.

“We are a proud Union of immigrants,” said Petagay O’Connor, a physician assistant at Montefiore Health System’s Mose campus, where she has worked for the past 17 years. She noted that tens of thousands of 1199 members are part of the Jamaican diaspora with deep personal ties to the island. “Immigrants are New York City’s essential workers,” she said. “Montefiore and hospitals across New York could not function without us.”

O’Connor spoke at an event organized by the Afya Foundation, which delivers unused medical supplies to communities in need. She was joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and representatives from Montefiore Einstein and the Greater New York Hospital Association, who are helping fund a delegation of 1199 members—including O’Connor—traveling to Jamaica to deliver much-needed supplies.