The Alemise V

Each piece in this collection was handcrafted with love by volunteers from Paramount using natural gemstones. Thank you, Paramount, for supporting JASA and the 40,000+ older New Yorkers we serve each year!

Alemise was born in a seaside town in Haiti. At the age of 14, she opened a small restaurant in the capital city and became known for her signature dish, a special version of white rice with pigeon peas.

After moving to New York, she decided to close her restaurant and return her focus to her family and life in the city. Now, she resides in a multi-generational home in Brooklyn with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Although she no longer operates as a restaurateur, she is still passionate about cooking for her family and sharing the recipes that brought their family joy and success for many years.

Over the last 15 years, JASA has been a huge part of Alemise’s life. Before her husband passed, they received home care assistance from JASACare, giving Alemise assistance in caring for him at home. After he passed, and as she got older, she realized that she was developing chronic pain in her knees and needed a little extra help at home. She knew exactly where to turn when looking for a home care provider. Surprisingly, the aide that works with her today is the same person who helped her care for her own husband so many years ago.

“JASACare is helpful in every way. My aide helps me with making appointments, getting to the doctor, and even bathing. At my age, it is not as easy as it used to be to do these things myself.”